Water Energy Nexus - Model Results

The case study will build on an existing TIMES energy system optimization model (SATIM), which will be complemented with existing results from the South African water resources yield model to obtain marginal water supply costs relevant to new energy sector investments in particular water management areas. The proposed modeling system will require treatment of risk and uncertainty. Resource cost and availability are typically defined by supply-cost curves, which are inputs to the model, and uncertainty in the cost or availability of specific resources is traditionally handled through scenario or sensitivity analyses which show how much the model results change when these parameters are changed. A core part of the project will be sensitivity analysis of how differing degrees of water scarcity, as measured by different potential supply costs, affect energy sector investment choices.