---
title: "Open energy system models"
chunk: 16/16
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_energy_system_models"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T03:49:30.157219+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

The GAMS language requires a proprietary environment and its significant cost effectively limits participation to those who can access an institutional copy.

== Programming components ==
Programming components, in this context, are coherent blocks of code or compiled libraries that can be relatively easily imported or linked to by higher‑level modeling frameworks in order to obtain some well‑defined functionality.

=== Technology modules ===
A number of technical component models are now also open source. While these component models do not constitute systems models aimed at public policy development (the focus of this page), they nonetheless warrant a mention. Technology modules can be linked or otherwise adapted into these broader initiatives.

Sandia photovoltaic array performance model
pvlib photovoltaics facility library
hplib heat pump facility library
windpowerlib wind turbine library 
hydropowerlib hydroelectricity library 

=== Auction models ===
A number of electricity auction models have been written in GAMS, AMPL, MathProg, and other languages. These include:

the EPOC nodal pricing model
Australian National Electricity Market examples using MathProg can be found at b:GLPK/Electricity markets

=== Open solvers ===
Many projects rely on a pure linear or mixed integer solver to perform classical optimization, constraint satisfaction, or some mix of the two. While there are several open source solver projects, the most commonly deployed solver is GLPK. GLPK has been adopted by Calliope, ETEM, ficus, OSeMOSYS, SWITCH, and TEMOA. Another alternative is the Clp solver. From mid‑2022, the HiGHS open source solver offers another option. HiGHS is used by the web‑based version of the PyPSA European multi‑sector model
Proprietary solvers outperform open source solvers by a considerable margin (perhaps ten-fold), so choosing an open solver will limit performance in terms of speed, memory consumption, and perhaps even tractability.
The flexible SMS++ optimization toolbox, written in C++17, is being developed specifically to meet the needs of energy system modeling.

== See also ==
General

Building energy simulation – the modeling of energy flows in buildings
Climate change mitigation scenarios
Energy modeling – the process of building computer models of energy systems
Energy system – the interpretation of the energy sector in system terms
Open Energy Modelling Initiative – a European-based energy modeling community
Open energy system databases – database projects which collect, clean, and republish energy-related datasets
Unit commitment problem in electrical power production
Software

List of free and open-source optimization solvers
Cbc (COIN-OR Branch and Cut) – an open source optimization solver
Clp (COIN-OR LP) – an open source linear optimization solver
Community Climate System Model – a mostly open source coupled global climate model
ESMF (Earth System Modeling Framework) – open source software for building climate, numerical weather prediction, and data assimilation applications
GHGProof – an open source land-use model
GLPK (GNU Linear Programming Kit) – an open source linear and mixed integer optimization solver
GridLAB-D – an open source simulation and analysis tool for smart grid energy technologies
GridSpice – an open source cloud-based simulation package for modelling smart grids
HiGHS – an open source optimization solver
People

Joe DeCarolis – energy system modeler and current head of the United States Energy Information Administration

== Notes ==

== References ==

== Further information ==
The following lists and databases cover energy system models to varying degrees of completeness and usually with a focus on open source:

Open energy models wiki maintained by the Open Energy Modelling Initiative
Open Energy Platform factsheets — structured summaries covering a range of open and closed energy system models
Global Power System Transformation Consortium database — filterable database of open models and related projects
Linux Foundation Energy inventory — allied projects with an emphasis on industrial rather than policy applications

== External links ==
Modeling efforts by region

Africa: reports and publications — broken down by region and country
Latin America: reports and publications — broken down by region and country
Oceania: reports and publications — broken down by region and country