for Energy System Modelling
CODERS Modelling Data Portal
The Canadian Open-source Database for Energy Research and Systems-Modelling (CODERS) is a comprehensive public database tailored for energy system modelers. CODERS consolidates national and provincial data from utilities, system operators, regulators, and other key stakeholders, filling critical gaps with estimated data where necessary. Initially focused on the electricity sector, it includes extensive information on generation facilities, transmission networks, system operations, demand, and costs. Through the Open Insights initiative, CODERS is expanding to incorporate data from other energy sectors such as oil and gas, buildings, transportation, and heavy industry, providing a robust foundation for integrated energy system analysis.
Empowering Energy Experts and Decision-Makers
for those developing models, CODERS includes all the core data required to initialize a new capacity expansion or dispatch model for Canada or any of the provinces. The CODERS API facilitates downloading large sections of the database at once as well as automated pipelines that pull data directly from CODERS.
for those designing scenarios within existing models, CODERS will soon include key scenario assumptions such as Canadian-specific technology cost forecasts, fossil fuel price forecasts and economic indicators such as GDP per sector. This data will be accessible via the database’s user-interface or API.
for those wishing to explore data and model results without running models themselves, the CODERS user-interface enables the easy exploration of the detailed historical data within CODERS and the IDEA visualization platform allows for exploration of a model results database, consisting of dozens of past runs from the COPPER and SILVER power models. This results database will grow over time to include results from energy system, economic and sectoral models.
Visit the CODERS webpage to either create an account or login. When creating an account, you will have the option to only access the open-source tables in CODERS or agree to the End-User License Agreement (EULA) covering the rest of the tables in CODERS. The tables covered by the EULA are still publicly available, but their use is governed by EULA. We are working hard to move as many tables as possible from being covered by the EULA to being distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. In addition, by creating an account we are able to automatically create an API key for you, which you will be able to use to access the CODERS database programmatically.
The dataset, Canadian Open-source Database for Energy Research and Systems-Modelling (CODERS) leverages the existing national and provincial databases made public by utilities, system operators, independent power producers, regulators, government agencies and energy associations. Data contained in CODERS relates to generation facilities, transmission networks, substations and other system assets, as well as to system operations, demand, forecasts, imports, exports and costs. Through the Open Insights initiative, CODERS is expanding to incorporate data from other energy sectors such as oil and gas, buildings, transportation, and heavy industry, providing a robust foundation for integrated energy system analysis.
The CODERS database houses data collected by the Sustainable Energy Systems Integration and Transitions (SESIT) group. This data is integral to populating our comprehensive suite of energy systems models, which encompass various vectors (such as power, transport, and building) and scales (including municipal, provincial, and federal levels), as well as sectors (like electricity, heat, and water). Currently, the database is maintained and regularly updated by the Energy Modelling Hub.
Covered period: 01/01/2018 – 01/01/2022
Latest update: 06/07/2023
We have compiled a list of key documents specifically related to CODERS below.
Are you a modeller, data owner, utility, student, academic, or stakeholder interested in contributing to the expansion of CODERS to support open energy modelling in Canada? We’d love to hear from you!
Hendriks, R.M., Monroe, J., Cusi, T., Ahnaf , A., Aldana, D., Griffiths, K., Dorman, T., Chhina, A., McPherson, M. (2023). Canadian Open-Source Database for Energy Research and Systems-Modelling (CODERS). Available at https://coders.cme-emh.ca.