Swiss TIMES Energy systems Model (STEM)

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.

STEM
  • Luh S, Kannan R, McKenna R, Schmidt TJ, Kober T
    Quantifying the impact of travel time duration and valuation on modal shift in Swiss passenger transportation
    Applied Energy. 2024; 356: 122412 (26 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.122412
    DORA PSI
  • Luh S, Kannan R, McKenna R, Schmidt TJ, Kober T
    How, where, and when to charge electric vehicles - net-zero energy system implications and policy recommendations
    Environmental Research Communications. 2023; 5(9): 095004 (30 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/acf363
    DORA PSI
  • Obrist MD, Kannan R, McKenna R, Schmidt TJ, Kober T
    High-temperature heat pumps in climate pathways for selected industry sectors in Switzerland
    Energy Policy. 2023; 173: 113383 (20 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2022.113383
    DORA PSI
  • Panos E, Kannan R, Hirschberg S, Kober T
    An assessment of energy system transformation pathways to achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions in Switzerland
    Communications Earth & Environment. 2023; 4(1): 157 (18 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00813-6
    DORA PSI
  • Kannan R, Panos E, Hirschberg S, Kober T
    A net‐zero Swiss energy system by 2050: technological and policy options for the transition of the transportation sector
    Futures & Foresight Science. 2022; 4(3-4): e126 (22 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1002/ffo2.126
    DORA PSI
  • Luh S, Kannan R, Schmidt TJ, Kober T
    Behavior matters: a systematic review of representing consumer mobility choices in energy models
    Energy Research and Social Science. 2022; 90: 102596 (23 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102596
    DORA PSI
  • Obrist MD, Kannan R, Schmidt TJ, Kober T
    Long-term energy efficiency and decarbonization trajectories for the Swiss pulp and paper industry
    Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. 2022; 52: 101937 (14 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2021.101937
    DORA PSI
  • Rüdisüli M, Bach C, Bauer C, Beloin-Saint-Pierre D, Elber U, Georges G, et al.
    Prospective life-cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions of electricity-based mobility options
    Applied Energy. 2022; 306(Part B): 118065 (20 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2021.118065
    DORA PSI
  • Obrist MD, Kannan R, Schmidt TJ, Kober T
    Decarbonization pathways of the Swiss cement industry towards net zero emissions
    Journal of Cleaner Production. 2021; 288: 125413 (13 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125413
    DORA PSI
  • Panos E, Kober T, Ramachandran K, Hirschberg S, Bauer C, Schildhauer T, et al.
    Transformation of the Swiss energy system for a net-zero greenhouse gas emission society. Results from the joint activity scenarios & modelling
    Zurich: ETH Zurich; 2021.
    DORA PSI
  • Kober T, Kannan R, Pietzcker R, Deane P, Fuso-Nerini F
    Research and innovation needs for clean energy supply
    sine loco: Dialogue on European Decarbonisation Strategies (DEEDS); 2020.
    DORA PSI
  • Kober T, Kannan R, Obrist M, Panos E, Heald S, Clements L, et al.
    Swiss industry: price elasticities and demand developments for electricity and gas (SWIDEM)
    Bern: Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE; 2020.
    DORA PSI
  • Velazquez A, Pietzcker R, Siskos P, Luh S, Kannan R
    Research and innovation needs to decarbonise the transport sector
    sine loco: Dialogue on European Decarbonisation Strategies (DEEDS); 2020.
    DORA PSI
  • Landis F, Marcucci A, Rausch S, Kannan R, Bretschger L
    Multi-model comparison of Swiss decarbonization scenarios
    Swiss Journal of Economics and Statistics. 2019; 155: 12 (18 pp.). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41937-019-0040-8
    DORA PSI
  • Densing M, Kannan R, Panos E, Kober T
    Long term role of Swiss hydropower from an energy systems and market perspective. Zukunftspotenzial der Schweizer Wasserkraft durch Synergien im Energiesystem und Markt Perspektiven
    Villigen PSI, Switzerland: Paul Scherrer Institute; 2018.
    DORA PSI
  • Friedl M, Kober T, Ramachandran K, Mühlethaler J
    Fokusstudie "Saisonale Flexibilisierung einer nachhaltigen Energieversorgung der Schweiz"
    Rapperswil; Villigen PSI: Hochschule für Technik Rapperswil (HSR); Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI); 2018.
    DORA PSI
  • Kannan R
    Dynamics of long-term electricity demand profile: insights from the analysis of Swiss energy systems
    Energy Strategy Reviews. 2018; 22: 410-425. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2018.10.010
    DORA PSI
  • Panos E, Kannan R
    Challenges and opportunities for the Swiss energy system in meeting stringent climate mitigation targets
    In: Giannakidis G, Karlsson K, Labriet M, Ó Gallachóir B, eds. Limiting global warming to well below 2 °C: energy system modelling and policy development. Lecture notes in energy. Cham: Springer; 2018:155-172. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-74424-7_10
    DORA PSI
  • Normark B, Faure-Schuyer A, Shivakumar A, Taliotis C, Deane P, Gottschling J, et al.
    Storage solutions and their value
    In: Welsch M, Pye S, Keles D, Faure-Schuyer A, Dobbins A, Shivakumar A, et al., eds. Europe's energy transition. Insights for policy making. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2017:173-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809806-6.00022-5
    DORA PSI
  • Panos E, Kober T, Kannan R
    Die Bedeutung von Flexibilitätsoptionen und Netzen für die langfristige Entwicklung des schweizer Elektrizitätssystems
    In: 12. VDI-Fachtagung Optimierung in der Energiewirtschaft. Vol. 2303. VDI-Berichte. Düsseldorf: VDI Verlag; 2017:47-60.
    DORA PSI
  • Shivakumar A, Taliotis C, Deane P, Gottschling J, Pattupara R, Ramachandran K, et al.
    Need for flexibility and potential solutions
    In: Welsch M, Pye S, Keles D, Faure-Schuyer A, Dobbins A, Shivakumar A, et al., eds. Europe's energy transition. Insights for policy making. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2017:149-172. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809806-6.00021-3
    DORA PSI
  • Kannan R, Hirschberg S
    Interplay between electricity and transport sectors – integrating the Swiss car fleet and electricity systemi
    Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice. 2016; 94: 514-531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tra.2016.10.007
    DORA PSI
  • Kannan R, Turton H
    Long term climate change mitigation goals under the nuclear phase out policy: the Swiss energy system transition
    Energy Economics. 2016; 55: 211-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2016.02.003
    DORA PSI
  • Panos E, Kannan R
    The role of domestic biomass in electricity, heat and grid balancing markets in Switzerland
    Energy. 2016; 112: 1120-1138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2016.06.107
    DORA PSI
  • Pattupara R, Kannan R
    Alternative low-carbon electricity pathways in Switzerland and it's neighbouring countries under a nuclear phase-out scenario
    Applied Energy. 2016; 172: 152-168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.03.084
    DORA PSI
  • Kannan R
    Can the decentralized CHP generation provide the flexibility required to integrate intermittent RES in the electricity system?
    Presented at: 67th Semi-annual ETSAP meeting; June 1-2, 2015; Abu Dhab.
    DORA PSI
  • Kannan R
    Development and Application of Energy-Economic Models for Switzerland's Climate Change Mitigation Scenarios
    Presented at: 2nd Asian Energy Modelling Workshop on Climate Change and Sustainable Development; July 23, 2015; Singapore.
    DORA PSI
  • Kannan R, Turton H, Panos E
    Methodological significance of temporal granularity in energy-economic models - insights from the MARKAL/TIMES framework
    In: Giannakidis G, Labriet M, Gallachóir BÓ, Tosato GC, eds. Informing energy and climate policies using energy systems models. Insights from scenario analysis increasing the evidence base. Lecture notes in energy. Cham: Springer; 2015:185-200. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16540-0_11
    DORA PSI
  • Maire S, Pattupara R, Ramachandran K, Vielle M, Vöhringer F
    Electricity markets and trade in Switzerland and its neighbouring countries (ELECTRA). Building a coupled techno-economic modeling framework
    Bern: Bundesamt für Energie BFE; 2015.
    DORA PSI
  • Kannan R, Turton H
    Interplay between electricity and transport sectors - Integrating the Swiss car fleet and electricity system
    Presented at: IAEE European Energy Conference; October 29-31, 2014; Rome, Italy.
    DORA PSI
  • Pattupara R, Kannan R
    Exploring uncertainties in CCS - De-carbonization of the power sector and country-wise opportunities
    Presented at: IAEE European Energy Conference; October 29-31, 2014; Rome, Italy.
    DORA PSI
  • Ramachandran K, Turton H
    Switzerland energy transition scenarios - development and application of the Swiss TIMES energy system model (STEM)
    Villigen PSI, Switzerland: Paul Scherrer Institut; 2014. PSI Bericht: 14-06.
    DORA PSI
  • Kannan R, Turton H
    A long-term electricity dispatch model with the TIMES framework
    Environmental Modeling and Assessment. 2013; 18(3): 325-343. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10666-012-9346-y
    DORA PSI