A graph-based formulation for modeling macro-energy systems

Averting the impending harms of climate change requires to replace fossil fuels with renewables as a primary source energy. Non-electric renewable potential being limited, this implies extending use electricity generated from wind and solar beyond power sector, either by direct electrification or synthetic fuels. Modeling transformation towards such an energy system is challenging, because it imposes consider fluctuations manifold ways demand side could adjust these fluctuations. This paper introduces graph-based method formulate models address challenges. By organizing sets in rooted trees, two features facilitate modeling high shares sector integration are enabled. First, allows level temporal spatial detail be varied carrier. enables large scope, while keeping computationally tractable. Second, degree which carriers substitutable when converted, stored, transported, consumed can modeled achieve detailed but flexible representation integration. An application formulation demonstrates that variation achieves average reduction computation time 70%.