According to reports from the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), emissions resulting from energy sector became one of the main contributors to global warming . Recorded since the year 1970 until 2004, some sectors other than energy sector also plays a key role in contributing greenhouse gases is the transport and industrial sectors (IPCC, 2007). Then realize that the field of energy planning is not just dwell on how to produce the energy supply that is able to meet customer needs and produce affordable energy in terms of cost, but also aims to take advantage of various technology options are more efficient in producing energy and also controlling the consumer side (through increased awareness of energy saving) to reduce the load energy demand. All this leads to the end on purpose to create a cleaner energy emissions.
Nowadays the need for human resource (HR) is reliable in the field of energy modeling very rapidly since the planning of activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and encouraged by various state environmental organizations in the world. However, limited human resources in this field makes the demand and supply of human resources is not balanced. This limitation is caused by at least institute and an educational institution that organizes instruction in the field of energy planning.
There are a few energy-planning modeling commonly used by energy planners . Some of them have been used by several government institutions in Indonesia to conduct long-term energy projections, while some models are used by individuals. This occurs because some models are not freeware (free software), but sold in the price is not cheap, so it can be understood if only certain institutions that have and use it.
1. TIMES / MARKAL
MARKAL (Market allocation) is an optimization model of energy / environment / economy that is enriched with a variety of technology options. This model was designed by the International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (ETSAP). MARKAL is a model that was matched with the input data that represent the projection of a long-term energy-environment (20-50 years) in a system specific national, regional, provincial and community levels deep. MARKAl system represented as a network of energy system that flows from the extraction of energy resources, energy conversion, and distribution of energy to consumers and also the use of energy at the consumer level. Each network in the MARKAL consists of three main pillars namely the technical coefficients (eg, capacity, power plant technology, and efficiency), coefisian environmental emissions (eg CO2, SOx, and NOx), and the economic coefficient (example: capital costs and time commercial energy). TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System) to build a feature of MARKAL and EFOM (Energy Flow Optimization Model). Then to run the MARKAL needed some companion software elements such as user-interface (Answer and the Vedas), GAMS (a high-level modeling system) and software optimizations like Minos, CPLEX or OSL. Prices vary depending on the variant of this software is what will be used, the price range between 3000-15000 USD. Learn more biased views on http://www.etsap.org.
2. RETSCREEN
RETScreen International Clean Energy Project Analysis Software is used extensively to evaluate energy production, life-cycle costs and greenhouse emissions from various types of energy efficiency and renewable energy. RETScreen currently provides various analysis modules: wind energy, micro-hydro, PV, combined heat and power, biomass, solar heating, passive solar heating, ground-source Heat Pumps and refrigeration. This software uses the Windows platform and requires Excel as the main component. RETScreen used to getting for free on www.retscreen.net.
3. MESSAGE
MESSAGE developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and used to formulate and evaluate alternative development strategies of energy supply. MESSAGE very flexible to use market analysis of energy / electricity and climate change issues, such as: lack of new investment, market penetration of new technologies, fuel availability and trade, and emissions to the environment. MESSAGE has the same characteristics with the MARKAL family and can only run on Windows XP. This software is free for the public sector, non-profit organizations and research organizations. For more details can be found at www.iaea.org.
4. MAED
Such as MESSAGE, MAED also developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and used to evaluate future energy needs, with a range of time the medium to long term. MAED use scenarios based on socio-economic, technological and demographic development. Unlike MESSAGE, MAED can be used on Windows and LINUX platforms. The software is also free for the public sector, non-profit organizations and research organizations. For more details can be found at www.iaea.org.
5. LEAP
LEAP is a comprehensive modeling tool and an integration scenario that is based on energy and the environment. LEAP was built by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). Scenarios run on LEAP to calculate the energy consumption, conversion and also the energy produced in an energy system based on several assumptions, including population, economic development, technology and price. LEAP is famous for its use easy (user friendly). Unlike working with MARKAL optimization methodology, LEAP works based accounting methodology. This software only works on Windows platform and is designed to be integrated with Microsoft Office to facilitate the simulation results of the LEAP to exported to Office and vice versa. This software is provided free-license to users in developing countries. More info can be found at www.energycommunity.org
6. WASP
WASP (Wien Automatic System Planning) developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to help design the expansion of power plants with fuel and a willingness to consider also the environmental factor. Like MAED and MESSAGE, WASP is also free for the public sector, non-profit organizations and research organizations. For more details can be found at www.iaea.org.
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