Energy System Modeling and Application for Japanese Local Government Using MARKAL Model

Abstract

Promoting renewable energy and rational energy use at the regional level is one of the most urgent subjects in Japan. In this paper, we demonstrate a local energy system modeling with MARKAL (Market Allocation) model. This model (the regional MARKAL model) is applicable to all types of government (Metropolitan, Prefectural, City, Town and Village) and assumes long-term energy demands and supply composition of each government from 1990 to 2050. The regional MARKAL model follows many of the technology parameters and preconditions of the Japanese MARKAL model (IO-Household and MARKAL model). Meanwhile, peculiarities of each government are defined by the region-specific parameters obtained from the local energy balance table. Finally we applied this model to Kuzumaki Town (Iwate Prefecture) and Hachinohe City (Aomori Prefecture) and evaluated the results such as energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Since there is little experience in energy modeling at the regional level in Japan, this model can be used by local governments as an effective tool in their med- to long-term energy planning.JEL Classification: Q41, Q56, R58