Wind farm in Oaxaca, Mexico. Credit: Mauricio Ramos/IPS
Computers Help Create a Clean Energy Future By Emilio Godoy
Planning and development of clean energy initiatives, crucial
for developing countries, require detailed analysis of many
factors. Information technology offers solutions. MEXICO CITY,
Jul 25 (Tierramérica).- The use of information technology in
energy planning can contribute not only to developing renewable
energy sources but also to moving towards a green economy. The
Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) is a
software tool developed at the non-governmental Stockholm
Environment Institute (SEI) that is widely used for energy
policy analysis and climate change mitigation assessment. “It’s
a sophisticated tool but at the same time user-friendly and
functional,” Charles Heaps, LEAP developer and director of the
U.S. branch of SEI, told Tierramérica. For example, he
explained, if a government wants the answer to a specific
question, such as the carbon footprint of a generator, the