How do energy-economy models compare? A survey of model developers and users in Canada

dc.contributor.authorRhodes, Ekaterina
dc.contributor.authorCraig, Kira
dc.contributor.authorHoyle, Aaron
dc.contributor.authorMcPherson, Madeleine
dc.date.accessioned2021-06-08T21:44:16Z
dc.date.available2021-06-08T21:44:16Z
dc.date.copyright2021en_US
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractGovernments at all levels rely on energy-economy models to design climate policy portfolios. Models vary in their purposes and methodologies, yet there is limited research comparing model characteristics and identifying models suitable for specific policy questions. We conduct a web-based survey of energy-economy model users and developers (n = 14) in Canada’s public, private, and non-profit sectors, to systematically compare seventeen models against the following characteristics: Technology representations, microeconomic and macroeconomic details, policy representations, treatment of uncertainty, high-resolution spatial and temporal representations, and data transparency. We find that for the most part, models represent technology, micro-, and macroeconomic characteristics according to the typology of bottom-up, top-down, and hybrid models. However, several modelling evolutions have emerged. To varying extents, top-down models can explicitly represent technologies and some bottom-up models incorporate microeconomic (non-financial) characteristics. We find that models differ in the types of policies they can simulate, sometimes underrepresenting performance regulations, government procurement, and research and development programs. All models use at least one method to explore uncertainty, rarely incorporate spatial and temporal representations, and most models lack publicly available methodological documentation. We discuss the implications of our comparative model analysis for climate policy projections and future research.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThe study was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Knowledge Synthesis Grant #872-2019-1002 awarded in 2020.en_US
dc.identifier.citationRhodes, E., Craig, K., Hoyle, A., McPherson, M. (2021). How Do Energy-Economy Models Compare? A Survey of Model Developers and Users in Canada. Sustainability, 13(11), 1-39. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115789.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.3390/su13115789
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/13028
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSustainabilityen_US
dc.subjectenergy-economy modelen_US
dc.subjectclimate policy projectionsen_US
dc.subjectmodel assessment characteristicsen_US
dc.subjectsurveyen_US
dc.subjectmodel usersen_US
dc.subjectmodel developersen_US
dc.titleHow do energy-economy models compare? A survey of model developers and users in Canadaen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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