TY - JOUR
T1 - Considering Socio-Technical Parameters in Energy System Models—The Current Status and Next Steps
AU - Liegl, Theresa
AU - Schramm, Simon
AU - Kuhn, Philipp
AU - Hamacher, Thomas
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/10
Y1 - 2023/10
N2 - The energy transition is a complex development towards a climate-neutral, economic, safe, and fair energy system. Therefore, numerical energy system models, among others, can make a significant contribution by simulating, optimizing and thus demonstrating possible transition pathways. Representative models and forecasting tools are needed to illustrate the next necessary steps and measures for the various target groups. In the literature, such energy system models have been studied and evaluated many times. This paper presents the approaches of previous reviews and analyses of how technical, economic, and social aspects of energy system models have been investigated so far. It is shown that especially recent studies already address this topic, but still receive insufficient recognition. Besides the general structural features, the technical modeling details were evaluated in the previous literature. Thereby, a part of the examined general reviews assesses the representation of consumer behavior in the models as a representative for social system aspects. Only a minor amount of the energy system models analyzed there per se represent consumer behavior. Furthermore, this article identifies possible linking strategies of social science parameters and energy system models from the literature based on their opportunities and challenges. This analysis forms a basis on which the already established majority of techno-economic energy system models can be extended in order to provide a more holistic view of the energy system. To do so, further research and development to improve future interdisciplinary processes are required.
AB - The energy transition is a complex development towards a climate-neutral, economic, safe, and fair energy system. Therefore, numerical energy system models, among others, can make a significant contribution by simulating, optimizing and thus demonstrating possible transition pathways. Representative models and forecasting tools are needed to illustrate the next necessary steps and measures for the various target groups. In the literature, such energy system models have been studied and evaluated many times. This paper presents the approaches of previous reviews and analyses of how technical, economic, and social aspects of energy system models have been investigated so far. It is shown that especially recent studies already address this topic, but still receive insufficient recognition. Besides the general structural features, the technical modeling details were evaluated in the previous literature. Thereby, a part of the examined general reviews assesses the representation of consumer behavior in the models as a representative for social system aspects. Only a minor amount of the energy system models analyzed there per se represent consumer behavior. Furthermore, this article identifies possible linking strategies of social science parameters and energy system models from the literature based on their opportunities and challenges. This analysis forms a basis on which the already established majority of techno-economic energy system models can be extended in order to provide a more holistic view of the energy system. To do so, further research and development to improve future interdisciplinary processes are required.
KW - energy system modeling
KW - renewable energy
KW - review
KW - socio-technical energy transition
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85175350999&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/en16207020
DO - 10.3390/en16207020
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85175350999
SN - 1996-1073
VL - 16
JO - Energies
JF - Energies
IS - 20
M1 - 7020
ER -