The Swiss TIMES Energy System Model (STEM) is a comprehensive representation of Switzerland's entire energy system with full sector coupling. STEM is designed to identify the least-cost combination of technologies and fuels needed to meet projected future energy service demands (ESDs). Thus, it models the flow from resource supply to ESDs across sectors, including space heating, industrial processes, and personal and freight transportation. STEM provides both a long-term perspective and a high intra-annual resolution, enabling detailed analysis of seasonal and temporal variations in energy demand and supply.
STEM represents a broad suite of energy and emission commodities, technologies and infrastructure as illustrated in the reference energy system below. The model also combines a long time horizon (2010-2100) with an hourly representation of weekdays and weekends in three seasons. The model is used to identify the least-cost combination of technologies and fuels to meet future ESDs (which are given exogenously based on a set of scenario drivers), while fulfilling other technical, environmental and policy constraints (e.g. CO2 mitigation policy).
The model's outputs include a detailed breakdown of primary energy supply, final energy consumption, and electricity demand and supply patterns by season, day, and hour for each technology type. It also provide CO₂ emissions, technology investments, energy supply costs, and the marginal costs of energy and emission commodities, among other key indicators.
