Energy system modeling and integrated assessment approaches are essential tools for understanding and optimizing the complex interactions within modern energy systems. By simulating these interactions, stakeholders can make informed decisions that improve energy security, support economic viability, and minimize environmental impact. This session will explore the role of energy system modeling and integrated assessment in advancing sustainable energy transitions, with a particular focus on the impacts of system retrofitting and the integration of renewable sources such as solar, hydrogen, wind, hydroelectric power, and geothermal energy. We will examine hydrogen's growing importance in achieving net-zero emissions, exploring its potential in energy storage, transportation, and industrial applications, as well as its integration with other renewable sources, small-scale energy generation technologies, and advanced grid management systems.
The session will also address the environmental effects, trade-offs, and co-benefits of renewable energy systems, particularly their impact on land use and related ecological consequences. We will look at strategies for sustainable planning and management that enhance the environmental co-benefits of the renewable energy transition, such as ecosystem service enhancement and the mitigation of land use conflicts. By bringing together researchers from diverse fields, we will improve decision-making, inform policy development, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and advance broader sustainability goals.