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At the UCL Energy Institute, we use many different types of energy model for different purposes.
Systems and technology models
Energy system models are technology-rich cost-optimising models that are used for energy technology assessment and decarbonisation pathway studies. We use models at UK, European and global scales.
| UK TIMES | UK energy systems optimisation model that supersedes UK MARKAL |
| ETM-UCL | European energy systems optimisation model |
| TIAM-UCL | Global energy systems optimisation model |
| ESME | UK energy systems optimisation model |
| DynEMo | UK dynamic energy systems model |
| OSeMOSYS | Open-source energy system model |
| TEMPEST | Multi-scale model of the UK’s energy demand and supply system |
| UK MARKAL | UK energy systems optimisation model |
Built environment models
Built environment models examine different aspects of building decarbonisation and smart energy systems.
| HIDEEM | Bottom-up, household level health impact model |
| English Archetypes | Bottom-up housing stock model |
| CaRB2 | Bottom-up non-domestic stock model |
| SmartCED | Energy demand management model that uses optimisation for controlling demand-side management in future intelligent grids |
| SimStock | Modelling platform generating dynamic building energy simulation models |
Transport: aviation and shipping models
Our transport models examine decarbonisation options in the international aviation and shipping sectors.
| AIM | Integrated assessment tool of the global air transportation system |
| GloTraM | Techno-economic model of the global freight transport system, currently focused on international shipping |
Electricity and other infrastructure models
Electricity dispatch, network and market models help to understand how robust, low-carbon electricity systems may be designed and operated in the future. Infrastructure models are used to understand energy transportation. Spatial and temporal factors are often very important for these systems. The electricity transmission and distribution systems are a good example but our research also includes gas networks and the development of transport sector infrastructure (e.g. for a hydrogen economy).
| DEAM | Agent-based, bottom-up, techno-economic model to understand electricity substation loads |
| EleServe | Generates electricity load curves |
| GCDCN | Granger-Causal Dynamic Complex Networks model - A toolkit to analyse the dynamic causal co-movements of a system of time series variables, with applications to electricity markets |
| highRES | Analyses the integration of renewables into the UK electricity generation system |
| SHIPMod | Spatially-detailed supply chain and infrastructure optimisation model for a transition to hydrogen vehicles in the UK |
| BRAIN-Energy | Agent-based model of electricity generation and investment |
Economic models
Economic models, often integrated with energy system models, are used to examine the wider impacts of changes in the energy system on the economy.
| TIMES MACRO Plus | Hybrid energy system and multi-sector economic growth model generator |
| CGE-UCL | Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model that includes natural resource and environmental considerations |
| COMPASS | Econometric model of wholesale electricity prices |
Environmental models
Our environmental models enable us to understand the links between energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and climate change.
| TIAM-UCL-IAM | Integrated Assessment Model version of TIAM-UCL |
Behavioural models
Behaviour models explore the interactions between people and energy use, with a particular focus on different actors and the uncertainties that arise from their heterogeneous behaviour.
| BLUE | A probabilistic dynamic simulation model to explore uncertainties due to different actors and interacting landscape |
| TEMPEST | A multi-scale model of the UK’s energy demand and supply system. |
| BRAIN-Energy | Agent-based model of electricity generation and investment |
Other models
Other models include resource and exploratory models.
| BUEGO | Equilibrium crude oil resource model |