Contributing postprocess#
Our analysis framework is built around three key dimensions:
Spatial — e.g., zones, countries, or aggregated system-level data (EPM’s lower-resolution level).
Temporal — typically annual values, but hourly data is also possible for dispatch analyses.
Uncertainty — represented through different scenarios.
In addition to these dimensions, we also work with components (e.g., fuel types, capacity mix, energy mix, cost breakdown) to provide insight into how results are composed.
Since it’s only practical to visualize two dimensions plus one component at a time, we use a consistent plotting strategy based on stacked bar subplots:
Each subplot represents one dimension (e.g., year or zone).
Each bar within a subplot represents another dimension (e.g., scenario).
The stack within each bar shows the breakdown by component.
Plotting approach#
We generally generate three types of figures:
System-wide comparison across scenarios over time
The spatial dimension is aggregated.
Each subplot is a year.
Bars within each subplot correspond to different scenarios.
Spatial evolution within a single scenario
One scenario is fixed.
We show the evolution across zones.
Scenario comparison per zone at a fixed point in time
The year is fixed.
Bars compare scenarios for each zone.
These three figure types are typically produced for capacity, energy, and cost.