mescal: a tool for coupling energy system models with life-cycle assessment.

Energy system models are widely used to design and assess energy transition scenarios. Energy system models help decision-makers to project energy policies and understand their impact on strongly interconnected energy systems. However, energy system models typically lack a set of comprehensive envir...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:Journal of Industrial Ecology Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 51 - 70
Autores principales: Souttre, Matthieu, Majeau-Bettez, Guillaume, Maréchal, François, Margni, Manuele
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Apr2026
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
Descripción
Sumario:Energy system models are widely used to design and assess energy transition scenarios. Energy system models help decision-makers to project energy policies and understand their impact on strongly interconnected energy systems. However, energy system models typically lack a set of comprehensive environmental indicators beyond carbon emissions, which are essential to assess the sustainability of energy transition scenarios and minimize the risk of burden shifting. mescal is a Python package that integrates life-cycle assessment indicators in energy system models. mescal allows energy modelers to expand the scope of analysis, encompassing indirect impacts from the infrastructure, and to include a wider set of environmental indicators in a transparent and reproducible way. As a result, mescal enhances the capability of energy system models in supporting decision-making by providing a more comprehensive sustainability assessment, helping identify environmental hot spots and trade-offs in energy transition scenarios.