Topic: IBC: Previous model (constructed in previous LEAP versions).Subscribe | Previous | Next
Ricardo Carvalho 4/5/2018
Dear Leap team,
I am working on modelling SLCP emissions from household fuel combustion. We are currently working to start with some field work, but first it would be crucial to do some prospects on transitions to improved cookstoves and upgraded fuels.
For that purpose, I thought about using LEAP-IBC to model local-regional emissions and impacts on air quality in a region of Western Kenya.
Our LEAP model, including useful energy analysis for households in the region (modelling of energy demands in the sector) has been done using a previous version of LEAP (without the IBC).
I wonder if I can use IBC for the same model and what do I need to do to do so?
Shall I open Asiana and then copy all the former branch tree from the previous model to Asiana and then save it with a new name?
Best regards,
Ricardo
Chris Malley 4/30/2018
Dear Ricardo,
Thank you for your message. To use the IBC module within LEAP I think there are a couple of things to be aware of.
- The IBC module converts emissions estimated in LEAP and converts them into concentrations of PM2.5, using the output from a global atmospheric chemistry transport model. Currently, the IBC module is only set up to do this at the national scale, so it would not be possible to assess the effect of changes to the household energy sector on air quality in a particular region of western Kenya.
- The most relevant application of the IBC module to your work that you may be interested in would be to assess the effect of changes in the household energy sector in western Kenya to overall air quality across Kenya as a whole. To do this there are a few changes that you should consider for the LEAP dataset you have in order for the IBC module to give sensible results.
- First, you should check the IBC module box under the Basic Parameters screen, and make sure that the dataset is identified as a national application, and that the country is Kenya (again changed under the Basic Parameters screen)
- Second, there are some branches that are required for the IBC module to run. These are the branches under Key Assumptions (which store variables like disease rates and crop production required for the impact calculations), and under Indicators (which store the IBC results) in the Asiana dataset. Your suggestion of copying the structure of the Asiana dataset into your existing dataset makes sense, but you should only need to do this for the Key Assumptions and Indictor branches that are missing from your dataset, you should not need to make any changes under the demand, transformation, resources or non-energy branches for the IBC module to run without an error. However...
- Estimating PM2.5 concentrations across Kenya requires not only an estimate of emissions from the household energy sector in western Kenya, but an estimate of all emissions that contribute to PM2.5 (black carbon, organic carbon, nitrogen oxides, ammonia and sulphur dioxide) from all major source sectors. Hence to get sensible results from the IBC calculations, it would be necessary to expand the analysis to cover a wider range of sources and across the whole country, in addition to the detailed modelling you have from the household energy sector in western Kenya.
I hope this is useful, and I apologise for the time it has taken to reply. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Chris