On October 16, in order to promote the exchange of experiences among global energy professionals on the cutting-edge trends in power model technology and to collectively drive the transformation of power systems, the CEMF International Technical Exchange Conference on Power Models was held in Beijing. The conference was co-hosted by the China Energy Modeling Forum (CEMF) and Tsinghua University's Center for Industrial Development and Environmental Governance (CIDEG).
The exchange conference was divided into two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning session was hosted by Qiu Ying, Deputy Director of EDF Energy and Nature Projects. Suzi Kerr, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of EDF, delivered a speech, and the keynote speakers included Oleg Lugovoy, Senior Economist at EDF, Assistant Professor He Gang from the School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College, City University of New York, and Matthias Fripp, Vice President of Modeling and Analysis at EDF. The afternoon session was hosted by EDF Senior Economist Oleg Lugovoy, and presenters included Professor Zhu Lei from the School of Economics and Management at Beihang University, Associate Professor Gao Junlian from the School of Management at China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), Associate Professor Huang Cansheng, Deputy Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Management at the National University of Singapore, and Assistant Malvika Bajpai from the Roorkee Campus of the Indian Institute of Technology. The session was moderated by Hu Xiulian, a researcher at the Energy Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission. The roundtable discussion on the progress and research trends in the application of power system models in Asian countries was participated in by Suzi Kerr, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of EDF, Oleg Lugovoy, Senior Economist at EDF, Professor Zhu Lei from the School of Economics and Management at Beihang University, and Assistant Professor Tarun Sharma from the Management Research Division at the Roorkee Campus of the Indian Institute of Technology, who shared their viewpoints.
The exchange conference began with a speech by Suzi Kerr, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist of EDF. She expressed her hope for strengthening international cooperation on power models and new power systems and exploring future possibilities in collaboration with China.
Oleg Lugovoy delivered the keynote speech.
Assistant Professor He Gang from the School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College, City University of New York, discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the Chinese electricity industry. He provided a detailed introduction to the structure, data requirements, and applications of the SWITCH-China electricity model. He also presented case studies of SWITCH-China model research, including the impact of declining wind and solar costs on the power system, the relationship between electricity and water resources, and the influence of energy storage configurations on the power system. He emphasized that the SWITCH model can be combined with other modeling tools for scenario analysis and optimization, incorporating policy objectives and industry realities into the model analysis to address a range of issues such as data acquisition, model accuracy requirements, and policy impacts.
Oleg Lugovoy delivered the keynote speech.
Assistant Professor He Gang from the School of Public and International Affairs at Baruch College, City University of New York, discussed the challenges and opportunities facing the Chinese electricity industry. He provided a detailed introduction to the structure, data requirements, and applications of the SWITCH-China electricity model. He also presented case studies of SWITCH-China model research, including the impact of declining wind and solar costs on the power system, the relationship between electricity and water resources, and the influence of energy storage configurations on the power system. He emphasized that the SWITCH model can be combined with other modeling tools for scenario analysis and optimization, incorporating policy objectives and industry realities into the model analysis to address a range of issues such as data acquisition, model accuracy requirements, and policy impacts.
He Gang delivered a thematic presentation.
Matthias Fripp, Vice President of Modeling and Analysis at EDF, shared the design concepts and applications of the SWITCH model from a global perspective. He used the Hawaii power system as a case study to demonstrate how the model can be used for power system planning to achieve a high proportion of renewable energy and cost optimization. He also further discussed technical challenges, data availability, and policy impacts within the model. He believed that only through continuous optimization and improvement of the model can more comprehensive and accurate power system planning be achieved. This, in turn, can better balance costs and sustainability, providing robust support for the development of future power systems.
Matthias Fripp delivered the thematic presentation.
EDF Senior Economist Oleg Lugovoy introduced the energyRt model and the CEPRO model, which are used for energy system modeling and analysis. He detailed the specific methods for conducting power system transformation research using these two models through real-world examples. He discussed various issues related to model design, application, and optimization, including the flexibility, scalability, and accuracy of the models. He also briefly outlined the current development status of open-source applications. He emphasized that energyRt and CEPRO models, as important tools for energy system modeling, have contributed significantly to the sustainable development and clean transformation of global energy systems due to their open-source nature, which has facilitated extensive research and collaboration.
Oleg Lugovoy delivered the thematic presentation.
During the afternoon session on the progress of Asian power transformation, Professor Zhu Lei from the School of Economics and Management at Beihang University provided a detailed overview of the research conducted by his team using their own power model. He concluded that the need for residual coal power, coal power generation, high proportions of renewable energy, and clean energy system storage will all increase when faced with the volatility and uncertainty of wind and solar power. He presented recommendations from both the energy supply and demand sides on how to address issues such as power shortages resulting from extreme weather impacts. Additionally, he emphasized that the stability of power transmission and distribution networks is a critical concern when facing the challenges of volatility and uncertainty in future power systems.
Zhu Lei delivered the thematic presentation.
Gao Junlian delivered the thematic presentation.
Associate Professor Huang Cansheng, the Deputy Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Management at the National University of Singapore, presented a random robust optimization model (SRO) for photovoltaic deployment in the context of Singapore. He discussed how the research findings could be applied to practical projects and highlighted that, compared to traditional methods, the SRO model can reduce grid dependence by more than 5%. This provides robust support for Singapore's green planning and sustainable development goals. He expressed his commitment to further expanding the application of the SRO model in areas such as capacity sharing and P2P power trading systems to contribute to global green energy development in the future.
Huang Cansheng delivered the thematic presentation.
Malvika Bajpai, Project Assistant at the Roorkee Campus of the Indian Institute of Technology, shared the latest research conducted by the Indian team using the SWITCH model in the Multi-Country Electricity Transformation project. The focus of the research was on the potential and economic feasibility of renewable energy in energy production. It was emphasized that a comprehensive consideration of different technologies and strategies, such as carbon capture and storage technology, and energy storage solutions, is essential in energy transformation. The importance and advantages of these aspects were highlighted.
Malvika Bajpai delivered the thematic presentation.
During the roundtable discussion, Suzi Kerr, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist at EDF, explored how developing countries can learn from China's experience in power system transformation when addressing common challenges. She emphasized the importance of South-South cooperation and discussed issues related to regulatory systems and financing costs that need to be considered when formulating power policies in different countries. Suzi also elaborated on the efforts made by Chile and the South American region in drawing lessons from other developing countries' experiences.
Oleg Lugovoy, Senior Economist at EDF, highlighted the importance of multi-model comparisons in field applications and the need for future predictions in optimizing models. He pointed out that when choosing a model, it's essential to consider the convergence of different results and emphasized that scenario analysis methods can help policymakers and entrepreneurs better explore the potential of renewable energy and provide valuable information for industrial expansion.
Professor Zhu Lei from the School of Economics and Management at Beihang University shared solutions to uncertainty in power systems, discussed the development trends and prospects of power models, including emerging formats such as distributed energy and virtual power plants. He emphasized the role of policy design and the interaction between policy and models, stating that policy and models need to work together to efficiently achieve the industry's goals of being economically, efficient, low-carbon, clean, safe, and flexible.
Assistant Professor Tarun Sharma from the Management Research Division at the Roorkee Campus of the Indian Institute of Technology explained how models can be used to meet decarbonization demands within domestic and international trends. He clarified the importance of electrification in the decarbonization process and the current state of electricity demand growth brought about by electrification. Tarun also predicted a range of challenges that may arise from integrating renewable energy into the power system and mentioned the potential of distributed energy and SWITCH technology in addressing these challenges. He emphasized the need for continuous research and model optimization to achieve a more streamlined and efficient workflow.
Roundtable Discussion
During the concluding remarks, Gao Ji, the Director of EDF Energy and Nature Projects, expressed sincere gratitude to all the expert guests and the CEMF team. He also offered a glimpse into the future of their work. He stated that the China Energy Modeling Forum would continue to provide a comprehensive platform for exchange to facilitate model research in better serving policy decisions and practical applications. The goal is to promote the development of renewable energy, contributing to the achievement of dual carbon goals and a zero-carbon future.
Gao Ji delivered the concluding remarks.
