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Whole Systems Energy Modelling Consortium

Whole Systems Energy Modelling Consortium (wholeSEM) was a multi-institution initiative to develop, integrate and apply state-of-the-art energy models, and ran from 2013–17

wholeSEM

16 January 2018

“wholeSEM bound together the UK modelling community through international annual energy conferences, specialist events and a bilateral Fellowship programme. wholeSEM's policy impact can be seen in the CCC’s 5th carbon budget, and BEIS’ Clean Growth Strategy. And it broke new ground on interdisciplinary energy modelling, addressing the conceptual and practical difficulties of truly cross-disciplinary analysis and insights. As Principal Investigator of wholeSEM, it has been my privilege to work with our four partner universities and with our Advisory Board over the last 4 years.” – Professor Neil Strachan, Principal Investigator, 2018

Aims

    The key aims of the wholeSEM consortium were to:

    • build and link energy models to provide a fundamental underpinning role for the UK’s national strategic energy modelling activity
    • provide continuity of funding to develop new models, retain human capacity and link modelling frameworks in innovative ways
    • employ extensive integration mechanisms to link and apply interdisciplinary models to key energy policy problems, with substantive engagement with a range of stakeholders.

    Research

    wholeSEM prioritised key modelling areas of high relevance to energy systems in its research. These research questions were:

    • How does energy demand co-evolve with changes in practice, supply, and policy?
    • How will the endogenous, uncertain, and path dependent process of technological change impact future energy systems?
    • How can the energy supply-demand system be optimised over multiple energy vectors and infrastructures?
    • What are the major future physical and economic interactions and stresses between the UK energy system and the broader environment?

    Impact

    wholeSEM was able to provide a unique hub for the rapidly growing UK energy modelling user group and network of stakeholders through the following activities:

    wholeSEM activities
    • a high-profile Advisory Board – with key policy/industry representative and academic experts
    • an innovative bi-directional Fellowship Programme for UK academic, policy, industrial and international experts
    • 4 high-profile annual UK energy modelling conferences
    • technical workshops on key modelling issues
    • non-technical stakeholder workshops to inform the development of the consortium’s core modelling tools and define a clear set of use-cases and scenarios
    • collation and curation of energy modelling data sources
    • detailed and transparent documentation for all of the consortium’s new energy models
    • model access to ensure best use, accountability and two-way flows of information from/to model developers, users and critics
    • training in modelling techniques and software platforms
    • Master’s level course materials and interactions with relevant centres for doctoral training
    • responsive engagement to regulators, government officials and the energy industry
    • traditional methods of academic dissemination, including leading peer-reviewed journals and international conferences
    • interactive web-based information dissemination, including a website, wikis, visual communications and webinars to share information.

    Publications

    wholeSEM publications

    2018

    • Skelton, A., Parroussos & Allwood, J., (submitted) Comparing energy and material efficiency rebound effects: an exploration of scenarios in the GEM-E3 macroeconomic model, submitted to Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
    • Jia, L., Aidt, T., Allwood, J., Low, H. & Skelton, A., (to be submitted) The limits of substitution towards low carbon emission inputs, to be submitted to Journal of Environmental Economics and Management
    • Hope, C., Roberts & Walker (Under review) Preparing UK households for a more active role in the transition to lower carbon energy. The Journal of Energy Research and Social Science

    2017

    2016

    2015

    2014

    • 2014 wholeSEM Annual Conference report
    • Ahrweiler, P., Schilperoord, M., Pyka, A., Gilbert, N. Testing policy options for horizon 2020 with SKIN (2014) Understanding Complex Systems, pp. 155-183. 
    • Akgul, O., Mac Dowell, N., Papageorgiou, L.G., Shah, N. A mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) supply chain optimisation framework for carbon negative electricity generation using biomass to energy with CCS (BECCS) in the UK (2014) International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 28, pp. 189-202.
    • Balke, T., Gilbert, N. How do agents make decisions? A survey (2014) JASSS, 17 (4), p. 1.
    • Daly, H.E., Ramea, K., Chiodi, A., Yeh, S., Gargiulo, M., Gallachoir, B.O. Incorporating travel behaviour and travel time into TIMES energy system models (2014) Applied Energy, 135, pp. 429-439. 
    • Dodds, P.E., Keppo, I., Strachan, N. Characterising the Evolution of Energy System Models Using Model Archaeology (2014) Environmental Modeling & Assessment, Article in Press.
    • Fais, B., Blesl, M., Fahl, U., Voß, A. Comparing different support schemes for renewable electricity in the scope of an energy systems analysis (2014) Applied Energy, 131, pp. 479-489. 
    • Pudjianto, D., Aunedi, M., Djapic, P., Strbac, G. Whole-systems assessment of the value of energy storage in low-carbon electricity systems (2014) IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 5 (2), art. no. 6612755, pp. 1098-1109. 
    • Pye, S., Usher, W., Strachan, N. The uncertain but critical role of demand reduction in meeting long-term energy decarbonisation targets (2014) Energy Policy, 73, pp. 575-586. 
    • Qadrdan, M., Wu, J., Jenkins, N., Ekanayake, J. Operating strategies for a gb integrated gas and electricity network considering the uncertainty in wind power forecasts (2014) IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy, 5 (1), art. no. 6589136, pp. 128-138.
    • Strbac, G., Pollitt, M., Konstantinidis, C.V., Konstantelos, I., Moreno, R., Newbery, D., Green, R. Electricity transmission arrangements in Great Britain: Time for change? (2014) Energy Policy, 73, pp. 298-311. 
    • Welsch, M., Howells, M., Hesamzadeh, M.R., Ó Gallachóir, B., Deane, P., Strachan, N., Bazilian, M., Kammen, D.M., Jones, L., Strbac, G., Rogner, H. Supporting security and adequacy in future energy systems: The need to enhance long-term energy system models to better treat issues related to variability (2014) International Journal of Energy Research, Article in Press. 
    • Zeyringer, M., Andrews, D., Schmid, E., Schmidt, J., Worrell, E. Simulation of disaggregated load profiles and development of a proxy microgrid for modelling purposes (2014) International Journal of Energy Research, Article in Press.

    2013

    • Aunedi, M., Aristidis Kountouriotis, P., Ortega Calderon, J.E., Angeli, D., Strbac, G. Economic and environmental benefits of dynamic demand in providing frequency regulation (2013) IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 4 (4), art. no. 6578160, pp. 2036-2048.  
    • Bajželj, B., Allwood, J.M., Cullen, J.M. Designing climate change mitigation plans that add up (2013) Environmental Science and Technology, 47 (14), pp. 8062-8069. 
    • Curmi, E., Fenner, R., Richards, K., Allwood, J.M., Bajželj, B., Kopec, G.M. Visualising a Stochastic Model of Californian Water Resources Using Sankey Diagrams (2013) Water Resources Management, 27 (8), pp. 3035-3050. 
    • Mac Dowell, N., Samsatli, N.J., Shah, N. Dynamic modelling and analysis of an amine-based post-combustion CO2 capture absorption column (2013) International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 12, pp. 247-258. 
    • Papadaskalopoulos, D., Strbac, G. Decentralized participation of flexible demand in electricity markets - Part I: Market mechanism (2013) IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 28 (4), pp. 3658-3666. 
    • Papadaskalopoulos, D., Strbac, G., Mancarella, P., Aunedi, M., Stanojevic, V. Decentralized participation of flexible demand in electricity markets - Part II: Application with electric vehicles and heat pump systems (2013) IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 28 (4), pp. 3667-3674.

    People

    Consortium

    While UCL led wholeSEM, the consortium also included University of Cambridge, Imperial College London and University of Surrey.

    UCL

    Pascale Davies (Centre Manager)
    Mr Francesco Fuso Nerini
    Dr Ilkka Keppo (Co-Investigator)
    Dr Pei-hao Li
    Dr James Price
    Professor Neil Strachan (Principal Investigator)
    Dr Matthew Winning
    Dr Marianne Zeyringer

    University of Cambridge

    Professor Julian Allwood (Co-Investigator)
    Dr Richard Fenner (Co-Investigator)
    Dr Richard McMahon (Co-Investigator)
    Dr Dennis Konadu
    Mr Rick Lupton
    Professor Keith Richards (Co-Investigator)
    Ms Alexandra Skelton
    Dr Zenaida Sobral-Mourao

    Imperial

    Dr Marko Aunedi
    Dr Dimitrios Papadaskalopoulos
    Dr Pedro Rivotti
    Professor Nilay Shah (Co-Investigator)
    Professor Goran Strbac (Co-Investigator)

    University of Surrey

    Professor Nigel Gilbert (Co-Investigator)
    Dr Aimie Hope
    Dr Kavin Preethi Narasimha
    Dr Maria Xenitidou

    Advisory Board

    Chairs

    Advisory Board Members

    • Andy Boston (Energy Research Partnership)
    • Dr Chris Dent (Durham University)
    • Dr Lewis Dale (National Grid)
    • Professor Richard Green (Imperial College London)
    • Martin Haigh (Shell International)
    • David Joffe (Committee on Climate Change)
    • Fabian Kesicki (International Energy Agency)
    • Steven Becker (Ofgem)
    • Oliver Rix (Baringa Partners)
    • Professor Mark Rylatt (De Montfort University)
    • Professor Jim Skea (Imperial College London)
    • Alec Waterhouse (Department of Energy & Climate Change)
    • Jim Watson (UKERC)
    • Louise Anderson (EPSRC)
    • Marianne Zeyringer
    Fellows
    • Francesco Fuso Nerini
    • Dennis Konadu
    • Chris Bataille
    • Joe DeCarolis
    • Bevan Freake
    • Francisca Jalil
    • Grant Kopec
    • Russell McKenna
    • Zenaida Sobral-Mourao
    • Behnam Zakeri
    • Kathrin Volkart
    • Sandy Skelton
    • Marianne Zeyringer

      Related links

      Research partners

      While UCL led wholeSEM, the consortium also included:

      Funding

      Funding for wholeSEM was provided by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council