BeWhere

The main objectives of this CLR group are based on 4 integrative pillars which are closely intertwined:
Pillar 1 is to provide guidance for decision-making and analysis as well as science-oriented and policy relevant communication (of scientific ESM results) toward the outside – e.g. policy-makers/decision-makers/the general public etc.
Pillar 2 is the reconciliation of bottom-up versus top down modeling which is to be seen as an ESM-internal bridging function within the different groups and their models, but also within different IIASA Programs, i.e. ENE, RPV, MAG etc.
Pillar 3 is closely related to Pillar 2 (and 1) and is looking at the assessment and (logistic) design of integrated renewable energy systems, i.e. bioenergy, solar, wind and hydro power in close interactions with ecosystems services on a spatially explicit resolution.
Pillar 4 – in contrast to technology-driven supply-based approaches - is based in the needs for stronger representation of social and socio-economic parameters in ESM’s and IIASA’s modeling set up. PSI pays special attention to consumer-driven tools such as product certification, i.e. forest management and chain-of-custody certification, sustainable biofuel certification, green building certification and similar.

PSI applies a wide array of quantitative and qualitative assessment methodologies. However, focus is put on the combination of biophysical modeling (e.g. G4M) with statistical methods e.g. for the geographically explicit analysis of sustainable managed global forest area.
Another important tool is the spatial optimization and scaling model BeWhere which is an engineering model based on a techno-economic approach. BeWhere is part of ESM’s Integrated Modeling Cluster which assures the linkage of PSI to i.e. the core modeling groups of ESM.

NEWS FLASH

Dr. Geza Toth, CEO of SDG Partners Ltd, visited the BeWhere team at IIASA on 7th August 2019.

During the meeting, CLR’S YSSP Tran Hoang Anh, from the University of Science and Technology of Hanoi and Agro Paris Tech, France, presented her summer project. Hoang Anh is adopting the BeWhere model to assess the optimal use of domestic agricultural residues to mitigate the emissions of the Vietnamese coal sector. She adopted future agricultural biomass yields derived from the EPIC model and developed a dynamic BeWhere version. As a funder of Hoang Anh’s stay at IIASA during the summer, Dr. Toth addressed different ways of developing the project further. Moreover, the meeting was also an occasion to discuss future collaboration steps, such as the application of the BeWhere model to derive cost-effective negative emission pathways for Vietnam and south east Asia.

Image: © David Andersson | ECOERA

JAN 2016

© Elena Dudakova | Dreamstime.com

A new study published in the journal Nature Climate Change presents a global assessment of the vulnerability of the world’s current hydropower and thermoelectric power-generation systems due to changes in climate and freshwater resources. It recommends that increasing power plant efficiencies such as replacing cooling system types and fuel switches are effective adaptation options to sustain water-energy security in the coming decades. ESM Research Scholar, Sylvain Leduc, assisted in preparing the global data set of power plants for this new study. More information on this study and water futures and solutions can be found here.

Listen to a report on the Ö1 Abendjournal, min 17:54, about this new study.

Reference

Van Vliet MTH, Wiberg D, Leduc S, Riahi K, (2016). Power-generation system vulnerability and adaptation to changes in climate and water resources. Nature Climate Change. doi:10.1038/NCLIMATE2903

NOV 2014

© Prasit Rodphan | Dreamstime.com

A recent article, in Profil magazine on alternative energy, highlights research done by Florian Kraxner who discusses different alternative energy sources and what their actual potential is for the future. The full article can be viewed online here.

Last edited: 08 August 2019