This page describes the datasets which are required and/or already exist to build an open model the European energy system (electricity, heating, cooling, industry and transport demand) at a high spatial and temporal resolution.
The idea is to list the basic requirements for open modelling, so that researchers can collaborate and share the burden of data collection/curation. Once the dataset meets basic requirements, further detail can be added to the datasets.
The level of detail which is initially aimed at is comparable to that found for example in the DIW Germany electricity sector model ELMOD-DE or the SciGRID-based Germany electricity sector model, i.e. hourly temporal resolution and a spatial resolution at the level of electricity substations with voltages above 200 kV.
Once this level of detail is achieved, higher resolution data (e.g. detailed ramp rates, start-up/shut-down costs, lower voltage networks, etc.) can be included.
The intention is to build a dataset that can be used for diverse research questions, including analysis of current energy usage and future energy system development.
- Electricity demand
In an ideal world, one would build a bottom-up model of industrial and residential demand profiles to build time series for each and every region (e.g. NUTS 3 regions), which could then be validated. This bottom-up model could then be re-run to include future changes to electrical demand, such as increased presence of heat pumps, electric vehicles and other changes to consumption.
The simplest alternative is to use the hourly time series from ENTSO-E for each country and model the geographical distribution of each country's demand based on GDP and population in each NUTS 3 region. This approach excludes the possibility that different regions within a country have different load profiles.
- Current status
The information for the simplest alternative already exists online in an open form.
- Heating demand
As a simplest assumption, this can be modelled based on temperature and population/GDP distribution using the degree-day approximation.
- Current status
The information for the simplest alternative already exists online in an open form.
- Cooling demand
Since almost all cooling is powered using electricity, cooling is already included in the electricity demand.
- Transport demand
TODO: literature review.
- Electricity network
GridKit / ENTSO-E interactive map
- Gas network
- Power plant database
- Hydroelectric power plants
- Heating network
District heating, location of CHP plants, etc.
