Long-Range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP)

LEAP is a software tool for energy policy analysis and climate change mitigation assessment suited for integrated resource planning, greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation assessments, and Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) especially in the developing world.

This tool is included in the Development Impacts Assessment (DIA) Toolkit from the LEDS Global Partnership.

Approach

LEAP is an integrated modeling tool that can be used to track energy consumption, production and resource extraction in all sectors of an economy. In addition to tracking GHGs, LEAP can also be used to analyze emissions of air pollutants. LEAP is not a model of a particular energy system, but rather a tool that can be used to create models of different energy systems, where each requires its own unique data structures.

When to Use This Tool

This tool is most useful for development impacts assessments focused on:

Social

Economic

Environmental

Learn more about the topics for assessing the impacts of low-emission development strategies (LEDS).

Key Outputs

Intuitive and easy-to-use reporting is a key ingredient of LEAP. The model calculates a huge set of results, which can be displayed as charts, tables and even maps. For example, energy demand results are calculated across five dimensions: fuels, years, scenarios regions, and the sectors and subsectors of the analysis. Results can be displayed in almost any unit of measurement and numerous options are available for configuring results.

How to Use This Tool

Training Available
COMMEND provides additional training materials in their website, as well as regular regional training workshops: http://www.energycommunity.org/

Level of Expertise
Moderate

Key Inputs

A key benefit of LEAP is its low initial data requirements. LEAP relies on simpler accounting principles, and many aspects of LEAP are optional. LEAP’s data structures are suited to an iterative analytical approach where a simple initial model grows more complex in subsequent iterations.

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References

Heaps, C.G., 2012. Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system. [Software version 2012.0049] Stockholm Environment Institute. Somerville, MA, USA. http://www.energycommunity.org/