Independent and technology-agnostic, whole systems modelling helping you design and deliver the future energy system.
Britain’s leading techno-economic whole system model
The internationally peer-reviewed Energy System Modelling Environment (ESME) is the UK’s leading techno-economic whole system model – providing in-depth evidence for industry, academia, the Climate Change Committee and the UK Government.
ESME is independent of sector interests and identifies cost-optimised decarbonisation pathways across the whole system.
This includes the complex interactions of power, gas, heat, and transport and the different ways in which our energy might be supplied, managed and consumed in the future.
Constraints include net zero greenhouse gas emissions targets, resource availability and technology deployment rates, as well as operational factors that ensure adequate system capacity and flexibility.
Importantly, ESME explores down to regional-level, assessing the infrastructure needed to join up resources, technologies and demands across the UK, such as transmission and distribution of electricity and gas, and pipelines and storage for carbon.
We deliver independent and unbiased evidence to support policy making by government, decision making relating to national and local energy system infrastructure for local authorities, networks, etc.. and more effective targeting of innovation investment by businesses and government.
Government & Regulators
Offering whole system modelling and analysis to support policy-making and investment decision making by government bodies.
Network Operators & Energy Suppliers
Modelling the physical, digital and market systems to support the energy sector in targeting effective innovation investment
Scale-up Innovators
Modelling the current and future energy system to identify the barriers and opportunities for innovators and matching them with commercial partners.
Case Studies
Net Zero electricity system with nuclear
Good Energy commissioned Energy Systems Catapult to carry out whole system modelling scenarios – with the specific constraints of allowing no nuclear power or fossil fuel energy supply – to determine if Net Zero by 2050 was still possible.
We utilised our overall Energy Systems Modelling Environment – which is a peer reviewed, least cost optimisation model – and crucially the ESME Flex which provided a greater level of detail into how the energy system might function under Good Energy’s chosen scenarios.
ESME Flex platform produces highly granular dispatch information and explores the different roles and responsibilities of energy technologies and services in 2050, on an hour-by-hour basis.
Good Energy used the modelling results to compile a report supporting their efforts to increase renewable energy generation and storage in the coming decades.
Innovating to Net Zero
The ground-breaking project by Energy Systems Catapult found Net Zero by 2050 is possible if the UK supports innovation and scale-up across three essential areas – Low Carbon Technology, Land Use and Lifestyle.
The Innovating to Net Zero report modelled 100s of potential pathways to 2050 – ramping up or down different technologies and behaviour changes – to understand the combinations, interactions and trade-offs of competing decarbonisation approaches.
It found meeting the UK’s Net Zero target will require unprecedented innovation across the economy. Innovation not just in new technologies, but in new ways of deploying existing technologies, new business models, new consumer offerings, and, crucially, new policy, regulation and market design.
Follow-up work included:
- Presenting insights on skills for Net Zero to 13 key stakeholders including: Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, Construction Industry Training Board , Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Welsh Government, Scottish Government, Energy Skills Partnership Scotland, Bright Blue, MCS Foundation and The Association for Decentralised Energy to support their development programmes on skills for Net Zero.
- Glasgow’s Integrated Planning for Net Zero and Smart Local Energy Kingdom Milford Haven project.
- Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy commissioned a project of evidence and analysis on Net Zero Behaviours and Societal Change.
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Find out more about how Energy Systems Catapult can help you and your teams
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Want to know more?
Find out more about how Energy Systems Catapult can help you and your teams