Balancing demand with supply

Having determined energy consumption in the Demand section, you have the opportunity to specify how and how much electricity and heat production should be produced in the Supply section. This page shortly explains how the ETM responds when energy supply does not cover energy demand.

Electricity

If electricity supply does not cover or either exceeds demand, the ETM uses interconnectors to exchange electricity with areas outside of your scenario area. The number of interconnectors can be adjusted in the ‘Flexibility’ section and dictate a maximum amount of electricity import or export. If the maximum amount of import is exceeded black-out hours will occur. If the maximum amount of export is exceeded, production technologies will be turned off.

District heating

Two separate ‘district heating’ systems are defined in the ETM: for households, buildings and agriculture, and a separate one for industry. In both systems if the supply of heat does not match the demand, the ETM automatically balances this. If there is a surplus of heat production, heat is automatically ‘dumped’ (contrary to electricity where this is not possible). If there is a lack of heat production this gap is filled with a back-up boiler which runs on methane.