This project builds a detailed web-based open source grid integration and optimisation modelling tool for the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM). It is partly funded by ARENA and led by IT Renewables. Other project partners are: United States Strategic Energy Analysis Center of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, The Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets, University of New South Wales, ThoughtWorks Australia Pty Ltd, New South Wales State Government, Victorian State Government, South Australian State Government.
The modelling tool, known as OpenCEM, will allow "extensive scenario modelling of the NEM with an array of input assumptions or explore pre-run plausible scenarios". It will be public and open-source to ensure that all data and analysis are verifiable, reproduceable and expandable by a large group of stakeholders.
OpenCEM will "focus on the transition path from the current system to possible future scenarios [seeking to] identify when and where existing electricity infrastructure should be retired and new capacity added to achieve desired future targets at least cost, while maintaining system reliability." It is hoped that this will support investment certainty into renewable energy by providing valuable data, analysis and information to assist in energy system planning and policy making. Specifically, OpenCEM will help to understand and visualise different ways for the NEM to evolve.
OpenCEM will allow users to:
- understand the effects of changing costs in technologies or fuel prices;
- appreciate the effect of improvements in technologies for generation, storage, transmission, and other; and
- understand how large energy projects can impact on the NEM.
