Introducing our "What If" machine - Model Builder
Coming in 2024: TransitionZero’s accessible and auditable modelling tool and data platform for answering questions about the energy future.
Most of the world has pledged to become net zero. Unfortunately, the majority of the world does not have a concrete plan on how to get there.
Energy plays a big role in the transition, and ambitious and urgent policy changes are required before clean energy is affordable and reliable for all.
At TransitionZero, we believe those changes are most likely to be implemented in an environment where a wide range of stakeholders are putting evidence-based proposals forward (read our secret master plan!).
To date, products to support energy transition planning are often based on closed data and models. This situation makes it nearly impossible for all stakeholders to engage in the conversation productively. The result is linear and incremental policy development, particularly for low-income countries, where governments often do not have the resources to afford expensive consultants.
TransitionZero has been building a solution, and today we’re sharing our progress and roadmap with the world.
‘A modelling team out-of-the-box’
The energy transition relies on resource planning models, however, today’s offerings are often costly, closed and complex. Model Builder combines TransitionZero’s world-leading satellite data work with new systems modelling capability in a convenient and user-friendly ecosystem.
The platform allows decision-makers to ask “what if…” questions to establish the impacts of various scenarios depending on different assumptions.
Model Builder will support power system investment planning, allowing users to identify and navigate trade-offs with costs, land impacts, and climate policies in addition to grid dispatch modelling for prices, operations, and grid resilience.
The modelling suite is underpinned by our platform layer, with federated access to numerical solvers, an API backbone for scalability and single-entry point authentication. In short, we’re making it easier for users to create, scrutinize and share their own ‘what if’ questions.
What’s powering Model Builder beta?
Model Builder combines web scraping with satellite data and machine learning. This is matched with production and generation data, and the use of asset locations to match land impacts, renewables potentials, weather and climate data.
Crucially, our data is then validated by in-country experts and partner organisations, ensuring it is complete, correct, and up-to-date.
Today, you can explore TransitionZero’s models in three ways:
Data Viewer UI for non-technical users to easily view results for different net zero and coal phase-out scenarios, and for comparing against current policies
Python Client for easy-entry programmatic access and Jupyter notebooks. Follow our guided walk-throughs of platform capabilities and different use cases
API for programmatic access at scale
More technical questions? Read our documentation.
What’s on the roadmap?
Quite a lot!
Over the next 12 months, we’ll be releasing key data sets and adding additional models to the platform, including modelling and analysis for the ASEAN Power Grid in Q1 2024.
We’re also working on a web-based user interface that will allow users to build their own models, edit input data and assumptions, and share those models with their peers and colleagues.
Towards the end of the year, we’ll be adding extensive heavy industry production and emissions data.
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Explore Model Builder beta now and get in touch with your thoughts and comments, we’d love to hear from you.
