Keywords
sustainable energy, environmental decision support systems, renewable energy, geographic information system, multi-criteria decision analysis
Start Date
1-7-2008 12:00 AM
Abstract
Colombia has relied for long on a generous endowment of fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas) and hydropower to meet domestic energy needs and also to contribute substantially to the balance of trade in international markets. But this situation is about to change due to the announced loss of self-sufficiency in oil (forecasted by 2010-2011) unless a dramatic last minute change in proven reserves occurs. Likewise, Colombia’s hydro potential (the largest energy source for power generation in the country) is facing difficulties to add further representation within the generation mix. These difficulties include increasing environmental and social costs associated with large hydro projects and the likely impacts of climate change and climate variability (drastic increases in surface temperature in the Andes and increases in intensity and frequency of ENSO -El Niño/Southern Oscillation- signals driving prolonged periods of drought). On the other hand, the country is richly endowed with wind and solar energy, resources that still have to participate more significantly in the national energy mix. Optimization of the nation’s energy options, however, is not a trivial exercise. Decreasing reserves of natural gas, dwindling oil resources and vulnerable hydropower generation due to climate variability will likely force the power sector to increasingly seek alternative options to the current power mix. In this sense, National University of Colombia and CIEMAT have been planning a project in order to build a new model tool for energy planning. This tool will be developed by integrating environmental and social constraints as well as renewable energy sources (RES) (according to the current Colombian National Power Plan 2006 – 2025). This RES integration will be made using geographical information systems (GIS) technology. In this paper, the project is presented, as well as the state of the project, the basis of the model, the software to be used and the designed platform.
Integrated Model Platform for Sustainable Energy Planning. Colombian case.
Colombia has relied for long on a generous endowment of fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas) and hydropower to meet domestic energy needs and also to contribute substantially to the balance of trade in international markets. But this situation is about to change due to the announced loss of self-sufficiency in oil (forecasted by 2010-2011) unless a dramatic last minute change in proven reserves occurs. Likewise, Colombia’s hydro potential (the largest energy source for power generation in the country) is facing difficulties to add further representation within the generation mix. These difficulties include increasing environmental and social costs associated with large hydro projects and the likely impacts of climate change and climate variability (drastic increases in surface temperature in the Andes and increases in intensity and frequency of ENSO -El Niño/Southern Oscillation- signals driving prolonged periods of drought). On the other hand, the country is richly endowed with wind and solar energy, resources that still have to participate more significantly in the national energy mix. Optimization of the nation’s energy options, however, is not a trivial exercise. Decreasing reserves of natural gas, dwindling oil resources and vulnerable hydropower generation due to climate variability will likely force the power sector to increasingly seek alternative options to the current power mix. In this sense, National University of Colombia and CIEMAT have been planning a project in order to build a new model tool for energy planning. This tool will be developed by integrating environmental and social constraints as well as renewable energy sources (RES) (according to the current Colombian National Power Plan 2006 – 2025). This RES integration will be made using geographical information systems (GIS) technology. In this paper, the project is presented, as well as the state of the project, the basis of the model, the software to be used and the designed platform.
