OSeMOSYS: The Open Source Energy Modeling System: An introduction to its ethos, structure and development

Mark Howells, Holger Rogner, Neil Strachan, Charles Heaps, Hillard Huntington, Socrates Kypreos, Alison Hughes, Semida Silveira, Joe DeCarolis, Morgan Bazillian and Richard Roehrl

Energy Policy, 2011, vol. 39, issue 10, 5850-5870

Abstract: This paper discusses the design and development of the Open Source Energy Modeling System (OSeMOSYS). It describes the model's formulation in terms of a 'plain English' description, algebraic formulation, implementation'in terms of its full source code, as well as a detailed description of the model inputs, parameters, and outputs. A key feature of the OSeMOSYS implementation is that it is contained in less than five pages of documented, easily accessible code. Other existing energy system models that do not have this emphasis on compactness and openness makes the barrier to entry by new users much higher, as well as making the addition of innovative new functionality very difficult. The paper begins by describing the rationale for the development of OSeMOSYS and its structure. The current preliminary implementation of the model is then demonstrated for a discrete example. Next, we explain how new development efforts will build on the existing OSeMOSYS codebase. The paper closes with thoughts regarding the organization of the OSeMOSYS community, associated capacity development efforts, and linkages to other open source efforts including adding functionality to the LEAP model.

Keywords: Energy; systems; analysis; Energy; modeling; Open; source (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (181)

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