Agent-based modelling (ABM) is particularly suitable for the simulation of networked and complex systems with adaptive agents. It focuses on actors, their interrelationships and their environment and can
- consider individual behavior and decision processes,
- uncover effects of emergence,
- integrate other paradigms,
- and explore systems in an evolutionary way.
Due to these features, ABM can serve as a bridge between different modelling paradigms and disciplines. In the context of energy systems modelling and the energy transition ABM is ideally suited to assess systems that are not in an equilibrium and to explicitly model policies. The latter is indispensable as the actors’ perspective needs to be taken into account for evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of policies.
See also:
Klein M., Frey U., and Reeg M. (2019) Models within Models - Agent-based Modelling and Simulation in Energy Systems Analysis. Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation. DOI: 10.18564/jasss.4129
Validation
AMIRIS is back-tested against historic prices for the German electricity market, see Nitsch et al. (2021).
Parametrisation examples for Germany and Austria are published and can be readily applied.