A VISUALIZATION TOOL FOR THE ANALYSIS OF THE EFFECTS OF CHANGING ENERGY POLICIES ON ENERGY SECURITY IN AN ENERGY SYSTEM

Abstract

All jurisdictions have an energy system consisting of processes responsible for the conversion and transportation of supplies of energy from various sources to meet the end-use energy demands. Energy systems are dynamic as they respond to uncertainties such as higher energy costs, new energy technologies, public concern over the environmental impacts of energy production, evolving consumption patterns, and the aging of existing infrastructure; these changes can affect the energy suppliers, the end users, and those responsible for operating the energy system. To reduce possible adverse effects and improve the energy security of the system, energy policies are often designed by those responsible for the processes. However, changes to the energy policies can also impact the system’s energy security. Therefore, it is critical to study the possible effects of changing energy policies before they are deployed. To address this problem, a visualization tool has been developed to represent a jurisdiction’s energy system. The tool allows the effects of changing energy policies on energy security to be analysed. A case study using real-time wind data from the City of Summerside has been implemented to demonstrate the capabilities of the tool. This presentation will elaborate on the methods and implementation of the visualization tool and explain the results obtained from the analysis of the Summerside project.