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Modelling Tools and Frameworks

CCG’s open-source modelling tools and frameworks are designed to combine intricate modelling with user-friendly designs and interfaces. Together, the ecosystem of models spans the full range of planning and financing issues associated with energy transition. This includes projecting energy access and demand, system capacity planning, and the design of financing strategies.

Capacity building is also available for all models through Energy Modelling Platforms and by request. (Learn more about CCG’s Capacity Building offer).

CCG curates a suite of open-source modelling tools and frameworks that support the energy planning process for the climate transition in low- and middle-income countries. Many of these tools are contributed to by a range of international partners, including IAEA, IRENA, KTH, UNDESA and The World Bank.

These tools aim to support countries moving along the investment pipeline from ‘Data-to-Deal’. The term Data-to-Deal refers to actions taken throughout an entire process that runs from data collection, system modelling, and development planning to national financing strategies, project finance arrangements, and the agreement of a deal (ie receiving financing for a transaction). These are also all driven by a strong stakeholder engagement process.

The tools are split into three categories. Click on each one to see more information about all the tools:

Geographic Information Systems
EAE, OnSSET, OnSTOVE, NISMOD

enERGY ACCESS EXploRER

EAE

Modelling Tool
EAE is an online and interactive geospatial platform that enables energy planners, clean energy entrepreneurs, donors, and development institutions to identify high-priority areas for energy access interventions. EAE functions also as a dynamic information system, reducing software engineering and data transaction costs for both data providers and users and facilitating data management and governance.

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The logo for OnSSET (Open Source Spatial Electrification Tool): A yellow circle with white icons connections between renewable energies

Open Source Spatial Electrification Tool

OnSSET

Modelling Tool
OnSSET is a bottom-up optimisation energy modelling tool that analyses the most cost effective electrification strategy, taking into account spatially explicit characteristics related to energy including population density and distribution, proximity to transmission and road network, nighttime lights, and local renewable energy potential.​ Based on this, OnSSET develops electrification plans and maps out how to achieve energy access goals in currently underserved locations.

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Logo for KTH Royal Institute of Technology (white text on blue background)

Open Source Spatial Clean Cooking Tool

OnSTOVE

Modelling Tool
OnSTOVE is a geospatial, raster-based tool determining the net-benefit of different cooking solutions selected by the user for raster grid cell of a given study area.  The tool can compare the potential of different cookstoves, based on their costs and benefits, and help identify the best choice. The tool considers four key benefits – reduced morbidity, mortality, emissions, and time-saved – and three costs – capital, fuel, and operation and maintenance. In each grid cell of the study area the stove with the highest net-benefit is chosen.

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Logo for KTH Royal Institute of Technology (white text on blue background)

nATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS MODEL

NISMOD

Modelling Tool
NISMOD is a collection of tools and software libraries for the modelling and analysis of multiple infrastructure sectors, including energy, transport, and water. By combining a suite of tools with socioeconomic and environmental data, NISMOD enables analysts to assess climate-related risks, resilience to natural hazards, and evaluate pathways toward sustainable infrastructure systems.

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Techno-economic
EBS, MAED, OSeMOSYS, CLEWs, SIBs, FlexTool, PathCalc

Energy BALANCE STUDIO

EBS

Modelling Tool
EBS is a tool for providing a systematic framework in organizing the energy statistics data that can be used to support the preparation of first order energy balances and construct inputs for energy planning models.

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Model for the Analysis of Energy Demand

MAED

Modelling Tool
MAED is a tool that estimates future energy demand based on assumptions about socio-economic, technologic and demographic development in a country or region. Energy demand is calculated for end-uses in the household, services, industry and transport sectors for an overall picture of future energy demand growth. The tool provides a framework for mapping trends and anticipating future energy needs.

The logo for MAED which is a navy circle containing a stylised graph with an upwards curve
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Open Source Energy Modelling System

OSeMOSYS

Modelling Tool
OSeMOSYS is a tool for the long-term planning of energy systems, evaluating the most cost-effective approach to meet future energy needs, optimising investment plans. It meets exogenously defined final energy demands while considering existing technological attributes such as costs, lifetimes, and system constraints like greenhouse gas emission limits, renewable energy targets, and investment caps. A variation of this model, OSeMOSYS Global, can evaluate the economics of cross-border power interconnections and regional energy integration.

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Logo for KTH Royal Institute of Technology (white text on blue background)
The logo for OpTIMUS (plain text with the O in the style of the UN Sustainable Development Goals logo)

Climate, Land (Food), Energy and Water systems approach

CLEWs

Modelling Framework
The CLEWs framework is an integrated approach that can be applied within OSeMOSYS to analyse the complex interlinkages between climate, land, energy and water resources. The framework identifies trade-offs, balances resource demands, and helps develop sustainable strategies, addressing connected challenges in resource management and climate change. Due to its flexiblity, CLEWs can be applied to various modelling tools, such as TIMES and MESSAGE.

Logo for CLEWs: a blue circle with the different aspects of CLEWs (climate, land, energy and water) depicted with icons
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Logo for KTH Royal Institute of Technology (white text on blue background)
The logo for OpTIMUS (plain text with the O in the style of the UN Sustainable Development Goals logo)
A light blue logo for the SIBs (Social Impact Benefits) Tool. Features white icons depicting the connection between energy and people

SOCIAL IMPACTS AND BENEFITS

SIBS

Modelling Tool
The SIBs framework follows an input-output methodology within OSeMOSYS, providing valuable insights into key social indicators, such as jobs, health, traffic accidents, and others, based on existing capacity expansion plans. The framework supports efforts to protect and uplift marginalised communities—an area of growing importance for policymakers.

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  • Developer: KTH Royal Institute of Technology
Logo for KTH Royal Institute of Technology (white text on blue background)

FlexTool

Modelling Tool
FlexTool performs power system flexibility assessments based on national capacity investment plans and forecasts. The tool assesses full power system dispatch and offers a detailed view of options for flexible generation, demand-side flexibility and energy storage, alongside sector-coupling technologies such as power-to-heat, electric vehicles and hydrogen production through electrolysis.

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Pathways Calculator

PathCalc

Modelling Tool
PathCalc is an innovative tool which integrates the analysis of OSeMOSYS with the visualisation features of the 2050 Calculator. As a result, the model outputs are presented in an interactive way via numerous ambition levers and levels, to visualise the impact of various choices on demand, investments, and emissions. To date, PathCalc has been trialled with Laos and Vietnam’s energy system.

Logo for PathCalc (dark blue circle with control dials in the middle)
More resources: Coming soon
  • Visualisation tool: Overview | PathCalc Laos
  • Developer: UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and Imperial College London
The logo for Imperial (blue text)
Financial
FFRM, FinCoRE, FinTrack, FINPLAN, MINFin

FOSSIL FUEL RETIREMENT MODEL

FFRM

Modelling Tool
FFRM is a python-based tool that estimates the stranded cost associated with retiring fossil fuel power plants. The tool utilises an optimisation framework to endogenously calculate stranded cost taking into consideration commercial and market issues. It uses projections for capacity and production of fossil fuel power plants to explore their retirement profile under two types of price regimes, PPA and market price regime to assess at what capacity does fossil fuel power plants become stranded and explores how this influences total compensation for stranded plants.

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  • Get the tool: Modelling Tools Survey
  • Developer: The World Bank, University of Oxford, Imperial College London
Imperial logo

Model for tracking climate finance

FinTrack

Modelling Tool
FinTrack is a tool used to analyse and compare sources of climate and development finance available to countries. It draws on data from more than 30 major climate and development funds to assess how much concessional finance a country can access, the typical terms of these funds, and how easily they can be obtained. By mapping fund eligibility criteria to common standards, FinTrack helps users understand which funds are most accessible and affordable. The tool also estimates the concessionality of different financing sources, compares potential versus actual fund use, and identifies barriers to unlocking low-cost finance.

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Imperial logo

Model for cost of renewables estimation

FinCoRE

Modelling Tool
FinCoRE is a tool used to estimate the cost of capital for key electricity generation technologies in low- and middle-income countries. It provides annual estimates for up to fifteen years across 176 countries and ten major technologies, helping users understand how financing conditions vary by country and technology to inform project viability and investment planning. The tool features an interactive web interface that enables users to visualise global trends, compare countries and technologies, and project costs to 2030.

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Imperial logo

Model for Financial Analysis of Electric Sector Expansion Plans

FINPLAN

Modelling Tool
FINPLAN is an accounting model that assesses the financial viability of plans and projects, taking into account different financial and technical sources such as foreign exchange rates, investment costs, loan parameters, plant size, electricity generation and so on. Using this information, FINPLAN computes the projected cash flows, financial ratios, shareholders’ returns, including the net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR), and other financial indicators. FINPLAN also supports different financial structures, including both balance sheet and project financing.

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Model for Informed National Financing

MINFin

Modelling Tool
MINFin is a model used to assess the financial viability of national energy transition plans. It translates the technical outputs of energy system models into financial terms, projecting investment needs, financing costs, and expected revenues, to determine whether a country’s energy strategy is economically sustainable. By identifying financing gaps, MINFin helps governments understand the fiscal implications of their transition plans and design strategies to mobilise finance. The model supports collaboration between planners and finance ministries, allowing users to analyse impacts on public debt, sector revenues, and investment risk.

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Imperial logo

Model Integration

IMPACCT Framework

To support Data-to-Deal, different modelling tools and frameworks have been incorporated and developed for the IMPACCT Framework.

A diagram which shows how various open-source tools link together to form a powerful, end-to-end Analytical Workflow that helps countries move from energy data analysis to investment-ready financial strategies.

The IMPACCT Framework begins with energy balance calibration in EBS, used for energy demand assessments with MAED. Simultaneously, high priority areas for energy access can be identified with EAE, thereafter, electrification and clean cooking plans can be developed with OnSSET and OnStove, respectively. Outputs from MAED, OnSSET, and OnStove can then be fed into OSeMOSYS to develop a capacity expansion plan, and broader linkages with land and water can be studies with CLEWs, and social implications with SIBs. From OSeMOSYS results, power system flexibility can be evaluated with FlexTool, national infrastructure planning can be assessed with NISMOD, and impacts of certain choices on carbon emissions can be visualised interactively with PathCalc. OSeMOSYS outputs can also be used to understand the foregone revenue from early shutdowns of fossil fuel plants with FFRM. With projected capital costs from FinCoRE and financing terms from FinTrack, OSeMOSYS outputs can also be used to develop a national climate finance strategy using MINFin and evaluation of the financial viability of utility-scale projects using FINPLAN.

Read the full paper here.