openTEPES: open-source transmission and generation expansion planning

Abstract

The expansion of the transmission network will be a key enabler of the energy transition. However, the high level of technical detail involved in network studies meant that it was accessible only to very specialized researchers. OpenTEPES changes the picture by providing an open-access tool with full functionality. OpenTEPES determines the investment plans for new power facilities (generating units and lines) necessary to supply future demand at minimum cost. Tactical planning is concerned with time horizons of 10-20 years. OpenTEPES represents hierarchically the different time scopes to take decisions in an electric system. It includes the uncertainty related to system operation, such as the availability of renewable energy sources and electricity demand, and multiple criteria such as investment cost or carbon emissions. OpenTEPES is a flexible tool that has been applied to planning projects in a European context. It has been developed as part of the H2020 project OpenENTRANCE.