Tools for Assessment

IKARUS

Postfach 1913
52428 Jülich
Germany

Tel: 49-2461-61 54 61
Tlx: 833556 KFA D
Fax.: 49-2461-61 24 96

Short Description

IKARUS provides a system containing models and a data base with the aid of which various strategies for reducing energy-related emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly CO2, can be evaluated.

The central model, a technology oriented optimization model, represents the energy flow in Germany and contains approximately 2000 representative technologies. Based on the method of linear programming, the energy system is optimized for minimum overall system costs under given CO2 (or other) emission reduction targets. Reference years are 1989, 2005 and 2020. Soft linkage is provided to the macroeconomic information system (MIS) which simulates sectorial economic development based on a dynamic input/output model.

Additional codes included in IKARUS are a model for the selection and construction of technology chains for the comparison of competing technologies with the same supply task and a set of submodels. These are simulation models for the sectors "space heat", "electricity/district heat", "transport" and "industry and small consumers".

The data base can be broken into a technology, a general and a model data base. It contains all relevant technical, economic and emissions data on individual and mixed technologies for the reference years, data on inventories, capacities, central macroeconomic data etc., using the ORACLE system. The contents of the data base by far exceeds the model needs. Menu-driven retrieval options support its use as an autonomous information system.

All IKARUS instruments are PC based.

Bibliography

Project Documentation Available from the Project Secretariat:

Common Framework, Basic Definitions, Version 22, Oct. 1991(contains the Chapters 'Definitions and Demarcations', 'Agreements', 'Carriers', 'Calculation of Economic Viability' and 'Data Structure') (in German).

Interim Summary Report for Project Phase 1 (1991) and Phase 2 (1992).

Interim Reports of the Subprojects for Project Phase I (in German).

The Models Possibilities and Restrictions in Answering Questions, Version Jan. 1992 (in German).

J.C. di Primio and G. Stein (Eds.): A Regime to Control Greenhouse Gases: Issues of Verification, Monitoring, Institutions. Proceedings of a Workshop at Bad Neuenahr, Federal Republic of Germany, June 1214, 1991. Konferenzen des Forschungszentrums Jülich, Band 10, 1992.