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Feds fund three energy-modelling tools to support emissions reductions

June 28, 2023 – The federal government announced a combined spend of over $960,000 for three energy-modelling projects across Canada, reports Natural Resources Canada.

Energy models are an important tool in planning the pathways to net-zero as they use data and software to demonstrate potential outcomes related to changes in the energy system, explains NRCan.

“There are many pathways Canada can take toward decarbonization, and many uncertainties in how our net-zero future will unfold,” said Brianne Riehl, Navius Research Inc.

The projects:

$372,573 will go to Institut de l’énergie Trottier at Polytechnique Montréal to develop a net-zero energy-modelling platform and an online data visualization dashboard. The interactive dashboard will allow users to explore how various factors could impact Canada’s GHG emissions.

$360,000 will go to Navius Research LLC in Vancouver to provide publicly available modelling data on Canada’s net-zero energy future by integrating two energy models. This integration results in an interactive and accessible dashboard where users can use to explore the impacts of different pathways to a cleaner electricity system.

“[The] Canada Energy Dashboard provides a data-rich interactive tool for anyone to explore possibilities for Canada’s low-carbon electricity system and the wider economy,” added Riehl. “We look forward to building on it and seeing how people use it for research, policy and decision-making in general.”

$230,000 will go to The Pembina Institute in Calgary that—in collaboration with Energy Innovation—will update the Energy Policy Simulator to better reflect the range of potential technology pathways and the documentation of future modelling needs and opportunities.

Funded through NRCan’s Energy Innovation Program, these energy modelling tools account for data that includes energy efficiency, GHG emissions, and projected power capacity “to guide the transformation of our complex energy systems” and provide “evidence-based insights”.