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Abstract
This lecture investigates the potential of using Cloud Computing to make urban energy modelling available to a wider audience. While there is a great deal of literature available and research ongoing within the field of urban energy modelling, the novel contribution of this research is that it looks at how Cloud Computing can be used to make urban energy modelling available to local authorities or consultancies who may otherwise not have been able to use these tools due to the costs involved in procuring the relevant software and IT infrastructure.
This research proposes the use of the Amazon EC2 Cloud to run Energy Models, with a particular focus on the SynCity Energy model which has been developed by Imperial College. The trials carried out during this project found that it was technically feasible to run General Algebraic Modelling Systems (GAMS) on the cloud.
In addition to demonstrating that it is technically feasible to run models on the cloud, this research also investigated whether there was a demand for this type of service by surveying a number of local authorities and consultancies. The findings were that the SynCity model would not be the most appropriate type of model to make available to this audience in its current format. However the project did demonstrate that there are potential benefits to the current users of SynCity at Imperial of running energy models on the cloud.
A business case has been prepared which demonstrates that there is a viable business opportunity to be exploited from running energy models on the cloud.
About the Speaker
Rhona Malcolm is a senior engineer at Crown House Technologies (part of the Laing O’Rourke group) based at Heathrow Terminal 2A where she is responsible for delivery of the electrical infrastructure.