Project Description
CREE/E: Rigorous quantification of energy scenarios for Spain
The project consists in the development of an energy model for Spain that would allow the quantification, in a rigorous and solidly-funded way, the implications of several energy scenarios in the time horizons of 2020, 2030 and 2050. The model is based in the extensive work carried out by the group that the present applicant coordinates, the results of which have been partially reported in the last two years in twelve papers published in SCI-index journals. The proposed project builds on the existence of this methodology and results, by updating, adapting and extending them. In essence, the proposed model combines a detalied evaluation of the potential and cost of renewable energies (obtained through the use of high resolution geographical and climate data) with an economic model of the Spanish energy system in which renewable and conventional technolgies are blended (in variable degrees) to satisfy the goals of a given set of of demand, emission savings, energy costs, etc. The model yields several indicators that can be employed to analyse the economic, geographical, social or environmental consequences of each scenario. The project comprises the following work items: (a) The production of a high-resolution Typical Meteorological Year, TMY (b) The re-evaluation of the potential and costs of renewable energies in Spain, with respect to the existing analysis, to reflect the effect of the TMY, cater for the technological evolution that has taken place in the intervening period, and update costs; (c) The development of an energy model for Spain, based on a modelling tool such as TIMES-MARKAL; (d) The design, execution and analysis of several energy scenarios for Spain, with varying objectives, and for years 2020, 2030 and 2050.
This project was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación as project ENE2011-27264: Cuantificación rigurosa de escenarios energéticos para España. It ran from 01/01/12 to 31/12/13.