Living Lab on Environmental Modelling for Energy Planning

Our flagship project and the one that gives name to the lab.  

In the LIVEN project, we create a research and Innovation living lab where we co-develop and adapt the modular environmental assessment tool ENBIOS to overcome shortcomings of current energy models, which are too focused on decarbonization and leave aside other environmental impacts. ENBIOS is an open-access tool that combines the bottom-up high-resolution LCA approach with the multiscale hierarchical perspective of the MuSIASEM methodology and can be adapted to assess the environmental impacts of energy plans at the global, national, regional, and local levels. The project includes three case studies: Spain, Catalonia, and the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. 

The LIVEN project is structured into four stages:

  • 1. During ENVISIONING, we explore the environmental assessment needs of Spanish energy policymakers and translate them into quantitative information requests that should be provided by ENBIOS.
  • 2. In the INNOVATION stage, we review the structure and methods of ENBIOS to transform it into a standalone tool capable of performing environmental assessments with a geographical reference.
  • 3. During the EVALUATION stage, we test if the resulting ENBIOS configuration provides information that is relevant for decision-making.
  • 4. Finally, in the PILOT phase, we will choose between two energy planning policies currently under development in Spain (the Spanish Integrated Energy and Climate National Plan – PNIEC) and Catalonia (the Energy Prospective Plan in Catalunya – PROENCAT2050) to run a complete assessment with high resolution to enhance transfer. 

LIVEN Lab team members: 

  • Cristina Madrid  
  • Miquel Sierra  
  • Yoana Kisyova  
  • Camilo Ruiz