Open Models in UK Energy Planning: What PyPSA-GB Can Do
The UK is undertaking energy planning at a scale and pace never seen before, yet the models underpinning these decisions are often proprietary, opaque, and inaccessible to scrutiny. As the energy transition accelerates, the case for open, transparent, and reproducible modelling has never been stronger. Open-source tools offer the research, industry, and policy communities the ability to interrogate assumptions, reproduce results, and build collaboratively on shared foundations.
PyPSA-GB is an open-source energy system optimisation model of Great Britain. This talk presents the model's capabilities, recent applications, and ongoing development. PyPSA-GB now incorporates a high-resolution 2000+ bus network representation of the GB transmission system, demand-side flexibility options, and market modelling of both the wholesale electricity market and balancing mechanism. The model supports both historical and future scenario analysis, making it a versatile tool for a range of research and policy questions. This talk reflects on what PyPSA-GB can offer for real-world energy planning in the UK, and why open, shared modelling frameworks like it are essential for the community going forward.
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- Imperial College London, Exhibition Rd, South Kensington
- London, England
- United Kingdom SW7 2AZ
- Building: Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Room Number: 909 B
- Starts 16 April 2026 11:00 PM UTC
- Ends 27 April 2026 12:00 PM UTC
- No Admission Charge
Speakers
Dr Andrew Lyden
Biography:
Dr Andrew Lyden is a Lecturer in Energy System Economics at the University of Edinburgh's Institute for Energy Systems. His research advances open-source energy system modelling and its application to real-world policy and planning challenges, spanning net-zero electricity markets, multi-energy systems, and decarbonised heat. He is the lead developer of PyPSA-GB, an open-source energy system optimisation model of Great Britain used in research and policy contexts across the UK.
