The purpose of the Balmorel project is to support modelling and analyses of the energy sector with emphasis on the electricity and combined heat and power sectors. Such analyses typically cover a number of countries, and include aspects of energy, environment and economy.

Underlying the Balmorel project is the idea that data and modelling should be common to all parties dealing with common problems. In complicated analyses and in decision making processes involving several possibly conflicting parties and issues a model may serve as a means of communications. Thus, it provides a set of data; it provides interpretations of the working mechanisms in the system; and it may serve the purpose of identifying and formalizing relevant questions for discussion and decision making. The process is best supported if the model is fully transparent. 

Open communication

Another idea is that good models and analyses are best developed in an environment where ideas can be conceived, developed, implemented and tested in open communication. In consequence of this, anybody interested can take the Balmorel model's source code and data from the website and use it as desired, directly or in modified form. Hopefully, such activities will feed back into the Balmorel project, so that model development, data updating and improvements and experience gained may be made available to others.

Thus, you can install the model on your computer and use it as desired. You may also modify it - indeed we encourage you to do so to make it fit to your specific needs. You may make as many copies of the Balmorel model (original or modified) as you like, and give them to whomever you want.

Transparency is essential

There is a restriction, though: you must do so in the spirit outlined above. Therefore, if you distribute the Balmorel model, original or modified, the conditions on the copies remain the same: the model must remain in a fully transparent form (meaning source code and simple data formats), and those that get the model from you can freely use, modify and further distribute it in the same form and under the same conditions (formally, the ISC license applies). Any changes that you make must be properly identified as yours. In any application you must properly refer to the Balmorel model and the present website.

Coded in a modelling language

The Balmorel model is coded in GAMS. This ensures complete transparency of modeling details, and it further supports modifications of the model code by any user. In order to run the model on a computer you must apply the appropriate software, and this is not free. You will need the GAMS software and a solver, see the getting started page. The above conditions apply to the GAMS code only.