Brainstorming session: The modelling of renewables for policy-making

During the 33rd edition of International Energy Workshop (IEW) on 5 June 2014 in Beijing, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) held a brainstorming session on the modelling of renewable energy technologies for policy-making purposes.

IRENA has undertaken a comprehensive assessment of current planning methodologies, particularly with respect to modelling variable renewable energy (VRE) forms such as solar and wind power. The programme, intended to help countries reflect the real potential of renewables in long-term regional and national master plans for energy, focuses on mid-term (20-30-year) power-sector expansion planning in developing countries.

The assessment would review how effectively existing modelling methods address short-term operational characteristics (whether constraints or benefits) as well as the relevance or irrelevance of each characteristic of VRE to mid-term planning and policy-making. IRENA’s special brainstorming session provided significant input for the assessment.

A complete session concept note and agenda of the meeting is found here.

The special session, gathering 70 international energy-modelling experts, elicited a broad range of experiences and ideas on VRE for policy makers to consider. The outcome has also strengthened the support IRENA can provide to its member countries in the incorporation of medium- and long-term renewable energy goals into existing power-sector expansion plans.

The meeting featured two “input discussions”, led by Kaare Sandholt of the China National Renewable Energy Centre (CNREC) and Elmar Kriegler of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, respectively. Short interventions ensued from Bruno Merven (University of Cape Town/IRENA), Ryoichi Komiyama (University of Tokyo), Brian O Gallachoir (University College Cork) and Manuel Welsch (Royal Institute of Technology), followed by an open discussion in which 12 of the participating experts made statements.

The 34th IEW is to be hosted by IRENA in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, during the first week of June 2015.