Engaging Stakeholders in Energy Equilibrium's Model Development

On October 19, 2023, the Energy Equilibrium project successfully conducted its first group model building session. During the session, a preliminary model prototype and a case study were presented. Everyone had the opportunity to test the prototype and provide initial feedback. The participants were able to evaluate the developed model and simulate various energy transition scenarios involving a greater deployment of energy storage technologies. This ensures that the project’s primary target groups and partners are involved in model development from the start. This enables the project to comprehend the critical system factors and refine the model effectively. The event also included discussions and activities to collect participants’ valuable feedback.

Aim of the group model building sessions

Group model building session is responsible for including the relevant parties in Energy Equilibrium platform building process to facilitate shared understanding of the relevant factors and causalities in the system and allow to improve and fine-tune the model. Group model building (GMB) is a method to facilitate shared understanding of structures and relationships that determine system behaviour. Aim of the group model building is to identify the relevant factors and build causal maps of factors influencing the RES development in local setting. Perceived strengths of the GMB process are representation of diverse stakeholder viewpoints and complex system synthesis in a visual causal pathway, the process inclusivity, development of shared understanding, new idea generation and momentum building. Creation of a shared mental model in GMB session allows model builders to improve the initial model.

Next group model building sessions

Several group model building sessions will be carried out in order to fine-tune the model. Each session will include the discussions and mental exercises in order to receive the valuable feedback. Feedback from each session will be analysed and incorporated in the model and presented in next model building session.

In group model building sessions representatives from project target groups will be involved (municipalities, energy consulting companies, state owned and private energy utilities, researchers from engineering and social sciences, professional associations from the energy sector). The representatives from these target groups will be invited and gathered from various BSR countries to increase its cross-border significance.

GMB are critical to support the creation of the model, validate its structure and behaviour, train relevant partners and decision-makers in the use of the model, receive critical input for the simulation of relevant intervention options, and share results with a variety of target audiences.

Aim of the Energy Equilibrium platform

The goal of the Energy Equilibrium platform is to enable the following functions for municipalities:

1. Identify the most optimal RES storage development strategy and its impact on energy flexibility in the region;
2. Help to determine the key factors affecting energy equilibrium (balance between the produced energy and the consumed energy) in the region;
3. Help to develop policy mechanisms and action plans to enhance local RES in the region;
4. Help to anticipate risks and avoid making expensive mistakes (e.g. investing in inappropriate technological solutions, creating negative impact to environment, and more).

This article was prepared by Kristiāna Dolge

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