Promoting sustainable supply of energy
World energy usage occurs on a scale that is starting to raise concerns about possible future adverse impacts. The policy strategies targeting technological developments are widely considered among the most effective means to reconcile economic growth with environmental issues. Putting global energy consumption onto a sustainable path, with the greatest social benefits and the least harmful impact on climatic systems, requires a profound transformation of its current organisation. Energy-technology research and development (R&D) activities and demonstration and deployment (D&D) programs are important driving forces in the evolution of the energy infrastructure. The SAPIENTIA project, sponsored by the European Commission, aimed to provide insight into the mechanism by which they contribute to the energy-technology improvement as well as their impact on sustainability indicators. For this purpose, the project uses energy system analysis and major European large-scale energy system models. The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria, one of the project's partners, has revamped its model for Energy Research and Investment Strategy (ERIS). ERIS software code has been reconstructed and a number of new features have been added to account for the effects of different representations of technological change in energy models. The researchers have focused primarily on the climate change issues, the security of energy supply and transportation. In view of its importance to policy-makers, this type of model is envisaged to substantially contribute to the development of long-term global scenarios in order to assess alternative investment strategies in the field of energy generation. Researchers are keen to form links with interested parties and industrial actors active in the area of energy system analysis to facilitate the exchange of information and share experiences on energy efficiency measures.
