GENeSYS-MOD, TU Berlin

The Global Energy System Model (GENeSYS-MOD) is an open-source energy system model, originally based on the Open-Source Energy Modeling System (OSeMOSYS) framework. While still part of the OSeMOSYS family of models, various aspects have been redesigned, expanded, or added. GENeSYS-MOD is a linear program, minimizing total system costs. Energy demands are exogenously predefined and the model needs to provide the necessary capacities to meet them. The modeling framework is very flexible in its use cases. Based on research question and input data, calculations can be done from a household-basis to a global aggregation of regions.

In essence, GENeSYS-MOD can be illustrated as a flow-based cost-optimization model. The different nodes are represented as Technologies, which are connected by Fuels. Examples for Technologies are production entities like wind or solar power, conversion technologies like heat pumps, storages, or vehicles. Fuels serve as connections between these technologies and can be interpreted as the arcs of the network. In general, Fuels represent energy carriers like electricity or fossil fuels, but also more abstract units like demands of a specific energy carrier or areas of land are classified as Fuels. Also, Technologies might require multiple different Fuels or can have more than one output fuel. As an example, a combined heat and power plant could use coal as an input fuel and produce electricity and heating energy as an output fuel. Efficiencies of the technologies are being accounted for in this exact process, which would allow to model energy losses due to conversion. Energy demands are classified into three main categories: electricity, heating, and transportation. They are exogenously defined for every region and each year. The model then seeks to meet these demands through a combination of Technologies and trade between the different regions. The following figure gives a general overview of the different Technologies and the connections between them:

For a quick overview about how GENeSYS-MOD works, you can also check out the following YouTube Video:

Additional Information about GENeSYS-MOD, including the full source code, example data set, as well as documentation can be found here: https://git.tu-berlin.de/genesysmod/genesys-mod-public.

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