Canada’s First Open-Source Integrated Energy Modelling Platform
The M3 Modelling Platform revolutionizes energy system analysis by offering an integrated approach to data management, modelling, and visualization. All models and tools in M3 are available open-source on GitLab and GitHub, and are united through a common documentation standard and style, visualization platform and, over time, a set of workflow management tools that will enable users to easily link models to unlock new policy and research questions.
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Features and Capabilities
Comprehensive and Holistic Design: Built by the Sustainable Energy Systems Integration & Transitions Group at the University of Victoria on open-source software, the M3 Modelling Platform represents multi-scale (municipal to federal), multi-sector (power, transport, buildings), and multi-vector (electricity, fuels) energy systems. It features soft coupling between components for seamless workflow management, and includes:
- Integrated Tools: Contains linkages between input data (CODERS Energy Data Portal), models across scales and sectors, and output visualizations (IDEA platform).
- Extendable and Adaptable Framework: Designed to accommodate future additions and a variety of modeling combinations to address diverse research and practical questions. See our list of models and the Open Insights projects to learn more.
- Transparent and Reproducible: Features a graphical user interface that simplifies conceptualization of the modeling workflow, enhancing transparency and reproducibility.
Usage and Community Engagement
How to Use and Get Involved:
- For Analysts and Developers: The platform supports plug-and-play model execution with Git integration, making it accessible for both data analysts and model developers.
- Installation and Documentation: Easy setup with a single Bash file and comprehensive documentation available for guidance.
- Visualize and Share Results: Use the IDEA platform to visualize and share your model results. Engage with the community by analyzing and comparing model outputs.
Get Started!
- Access the Platform: Find the M3 Modelling Platform on GitLab. Check out the setup guide and begin your journey in energy modeling.
- Contribute Your Models: To add your model or tool to the platform, contact us at [email protected].
- Visualize with IDEA: For using the IDEA platform with your model results, reach out for support or additional information at [email protected].
The M3 Platform Modules
Open Data & Assumptions
The M3 Platform feeds on CODERS, our open-source energy data portal that leverages existing national and provincial databases. These databases are made public by utilities, system operators, independent power producers, regulators, government agencies, and energy associations.
Open Models
The M3 Platform is designed to accommodate future additions and support various modeling combinations to address a wide range of research and practical questions. You can already see it in action with the SILVER and COPPER models.
Open Visualization
IDEA is a powerful open-source visualization dashboard and explorer, tailored for energy modeling inputs and outputs. This indispensable tool empowers modelers and analysts to unravel the intricacies of energy transition modeling, facilitating informed decision-making.
Workflow Management Tool
The M3 Platform is built on the Spine Toolbox, an open-source software designed for defining, managing, simulating, and optimizing energy system models. It enables users to collect, create, organize, and validate model input data, execute models with selected data, and archive and visualize the results/output data.