Hydropower and Energy Planning, better technological representation.

What is it about?

Energy Models are a category of computer software that simulate the behaviour of present and future energy systems to help plan their role and future development to support the energy transition. Hydropower is one of the most complex dynamics to represent, this work proposes a new methodology that could support a better representation of this technology, and hence more precise planning. A case study to showcase the proposed methodology is developed in the Zambezi river basin, an area that heavily relies on hydropower and which role Climate Change could put under severe threat.

Featured Image

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

Photo by Dan Meyers on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Energy models are now one of the most adopted tools to support energy planning, and hydropower is one of the most critical technologies to model, given the number of hydrological constraints, often not accounted for in energy models. Properly modelling hydropower will be a key challenge in planning the future of Sub-Saharan Africa energy systems, which heavily rely on this technology and whose future role could be severely put under threat by climate change.