Review of the Scottish TIMES energy system model

Abstract

The Scottish TIMES model has provided influential evidence to inform Scottish Government climate policy in recent years. This report presents the findings of a technical review of the Scottish TIMES model. This comprised a review of the model inputs and a number of diagnostic tests based on running the model with a test scenario.

The review identified a number of issues that should be investigated further and some minor model data issues to explore. The review concluded that that Scottish TIMES is a solid and well-designed model which is suitable for informing Scottish climate policy if used appropriately. The review suggested some areas where the model could be further developed and these include improving greenhouse gas emissions accounting and producing output data analyses that stakeholders could draw on.