The Open Energy Modelling Framework (oemof) - A new approach to facilitate open science in energy system modelling

TL;DR

The paper introduces oemof, an open-source, flexible, graph-based energy system modelling framework that promotes open science and supports complex, cross-sectoral energy system analysis at various scales.

Contribution

It presents a novel, open-source energy modelling framework that enables flexible, transparent, and collaborative analysis of complex energy systems across multiple scales.

Findings

Open source and freely licensed framework.

Supports modeling of complex, cross-sectoral energy systems.

Facilitates open science and collaborative development.

Abstract

Energy system models have become indispensable tools for planning future energy systems by providing insights into different development trajectories. However, sustainable systems with high shares of renewable energy are characterized by growing cross-sectoral interdependencies and decentralized structures. To capture important properties of increasingly complex energy systems, sophisticated and flexible modelling tools are needed. At the same time, open science is becoming increasingly important in energy system modelling. This paper presents the Open Energy Modelling Framework (oemof) as a novel approach to energy system modelling, representation and analysis. The framework provides a toolbox to construct comprehensive energy system models and has been published open source under a free licence. Through collaborative development based on open processes, the framework supports a maximum level of participation, transparency and open science principles in energy system modelling. Based on a generic graph-based description of energy systems, it is well-suited to flexibly model complex cross-sectoral systems and incorporate various modelling approaches. This makes the framework a multi-purpose modelling environment for modelling and analyzing different systems at scales ranging from urban to transnational.