Information about Systemexpert
"Modeling of Energy and Environment for the Future of Our Planet"
Company background
Systemexpert Consulting Ltd (Systemexpert) was founded in March, 1994. Systemexpert is a non-profit private firm. Systemexpert consists of experts, who used to work for the Department of Systems Analysis and Geomathematics of the earlier Hungarian Central Mining Development Institute. After the privatization of this research and development institute, Systemexpert continued the activity of this department with the same staff. The staff consists of engineers, environmental experts, , geologists, economists, mathematicians and program makers. All these experts have much experience in energy and environmental modeling and geomathematics, in particular in geostatistical modeling. Experts of the Systemexpert also take part in education: some of them are lecturers in different universities, e.g., Budapest University of Economics, Eötvös University Budapest. Systemexpert works on the basis of contracts, production costs are covered by the realized income and supports. Systemexpert is one of the member companies of the Hungarian Electrotechnical Association. We briefly outline here the main activities of the Systemexpert on these fields.
Energy and Environmental Modeling
Modeling of the power generation in Hungary
Systemexpert is in continuous cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection of the Hungarian Power Companies. This cooperation began in 1992 between the Central Mining Development Institute and the Companies, and it was continued when Systemexpert became independent as a result of the privatization of the institute. The experts of the Systemexpert have been dealing with energy modeling for more than 15 years. There have been several models developed by them, in particular mixed integer and multiobjective models, a dynamic system model, etc. The analyses were made primarily on behalf of the earlier Ministry for Industry. In the past couple of years also well-known models were adapted, adjusted and applied to the Hungarian energy sector by the Systemexpert. One of these models is the EFOM_ENV (Energy Flow Optimization Model - Environment) . In the framework of the ongoing project between the Systemexpert and the Companies, the experts of the Systemexpert use the EFOM_ENV to determine which environmental measures would be necessary to satisfy an increasing demand on electricity and heat and to keep emission limits in accordance with the valid international agreements and conventions. Emission limits for CO2, SO2, NOx, and particulates are taken into account. Also the production of waste and flying ash is examined. In 1994-1995, this activity was organized in the framework of the EURIO project controlled by the European Community, Directorate General XII. The input data system of the model is being continuously updated and rerun by the experts of the Systemexpert.
Systemexpert also cooperates with the Department for Operation of Power Plants of the Companies. This cooperation began in the first half of 1996. It aimed at the development of a computer program to model the wholesale activity of the Companies and to optimize the electricity export and import (by minimizing the total costs). The Companies bought the program system PSIM 4.2. developed by the Power Technologies Incorporation (USA), which is devoted to provide information for the reliable operation of the power plant system. The main task of the Systemexpert was to fit the PSIM 4.2. to the planning system of the Companies. This means on one hand that the program developed by Systemexpert should generate input for the PSIM 4.2. from the available data and information. It is also suitable for processing the output of the PSIM 4.2. according to the requests of strategic planning of the Companies. In other words, PSIM 4.2. has been integrated into the planning system of the Companies. The program calculates the hourly amount of electricity bought from power plants and sold for distributors. Prices can be calculated, too. It is also planned that this program will be directly connected with other programs used in the Companies, namely with the demand estimating program and with the program for scheduling of maintenance activities. In the framework of another project between Systemexpert and the Department for Operation of Power Plants, Systemexpert has developed a study, in which the effect of independent electricity producers on the power supply was examined. It contains the viewpoint of technical and economic evaluation of independent producers. The way of risk sharing between the independent producers and the Companies is also suggested.
In 1997, the Hungarian Power Companies issued two tenders to establish new power generating capacities in 2002-2006: one for capacities less than 200MW, and one for big capacities. The tender was evaluated by an expert team consisting of the staff of Systemexpert and of the Argonne National Laboratory (USA). Two computer models have been used in the evaluation. The first one is the PSIM mentioned above, the second was the ENPEP developed by Argonne National Laboratory . The experts of the Systemexpert took part also in the development of the ENPEP, and they are regularly invited to make lectures and presentations in the ENPEP training courses organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency .
Country Studies
Concerning international cooperation, one should mention first the Hungarian participation in the U.S. Country Studies Program. This project began in October, 1994. The main purpose was to elaborate a comprehensive country study, which contains the inventories of the anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions for Hungary for the period of 1985-1987, and also long-term scenarios for the national economy, which may assure the stabilization of these emissions on the selected base level. This is the obligation for Hungary, which was undertaken by signing and ratifying the Framework Convention on Climate Change. This country study effectively supported the elaboration of the series of National Communications submitted by the Hungarian Ministry for Environment and Regional Policy. To promote the elaboration of the next issues of the Communications, the emission inventories are being continuously updated. Both the developomnent of the country study and the inventory update is coordinated by the Systemexpert. Experts of the Systemexpert took part in many workshops and training courses in the USA in order to apply the methodology of inventories and the models successfully to the Hungarian circumstances.
The Country Studies Program effectively supported the development of the First and Second National Communication of Hungary, which have already been submitted to the UN Secretariat. The series of National Communications are developed in the Ministry for Environment and Regional Policy of Hungary and are submitted by the Hungarian Committee on Sustainable Development. According to a special contract Systemexpert regularly provides background materials for these documents. The Communications contain update of historical greenhouse gas emission data, the update of this data inventory, emission projections and preparation of actions and measures aiming at the reduction or stabilization of emissions.
Since 1996 Systemexpert has been cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the field of energy modeling. We participate in the DECADES project. This includes model development and training for energy experts.
In the field of energy modeling, Systemexpert collaborates or collaborated with the following institutions.
ˇ Department of Energy, USA
ˇ Stockholm Environmental Center - Boston Tellus Institute, USA
ˇ Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, USA
ˇ ICF Incorporated, USA
ˇ Argonne National Laboratory, USA
ˇ Hagler-Bailly Consulting Inc., USA
ˇ VUPEK International, Prague, Czech Republic
ˇ Resource Analysis, Delft, Holland
ˇ Netherlands Agency for Energy and the Environment, NOVEM, Utrecht, Holland
ˇ International Institute for Energy Conservation - Europe, London, UK
ˇ Siberian Energy Institute, Irkutsk, Russia
ˇ Central Institute for Mining Informatics, Katowicze, Poland
ˇ Ministry for Environment and Regional Policy, Hungary
ˇ Hungarian Power Companies
Some links can be found here for some further institutions.
Geomathematics
The experts of the Systemexpert was the first team in Hungary, which developed a comprehensive geostatistical program package in the earlier Central Mining Institute. This software can be used for estimating different geological parameters, for variogram analysis, for kriging, etc. The program package contains also a special module for the determination of optimal drilling sites of sampling. It was adapted for personal computers in the mid 80's. In this team several scientific degrees were taken in this field (PhD's, academic candidatures, and doctorships). The new theoretic results and the practical applications of the programs are regularly published. Lately this program package has been used more and more frequently to detect environmental pollution processes. The graphic modules of the program can be used, e.g., to produce isoline maps of soil contaminations. The program package contains the following modules: ˇ Calculation and evaluation of semivariograms ˇ Regression analysis of geological parameters ˇ Parameter maps representing the expected relations of longwall faces ˇ Stratum diagram based on results of drillings ˇ Simulation and control of extractions ˇ Determination of optimal sites of drillings Audits and reviews of different deposits were regularly performed during the past 10-15 years. Program was also applied to detecting and mapping of oil spills and to other soil contamination processes. In the field of geostatistical modeling Systemexpert is collaborating with the ˇ Technical University of Barcelona (Spain) ˇ Institute of Geology and Mineral exploration (Greece) We mention here some of the most important references as follows: ˇ Parameter estimation and risk analysis for the Dorog collieries (Hungary) ˇ Geostatistical analisys of the gypsum and anhydrite reserves of Alsótelekes for the Hungarian Ore Mines Company ˇ Geostatistical examination of the seam parameters of the hard coal reserves of Putnok (Hungary) for the Borsod Collieries ˇ Geostatistical and risk analysis for the region of Balinka (Hungary) ˇ Feasibilty Study for the Márkushegy III (Hungary) for the Oroszlány Collieries ˇ Estimation of domestic oil deposits by geostatistical methods for the Hungarian Research Institute for Hydrocarbons ˇ Complex evaluation of mineral resources in the framework of the UNDP project Nr. RER/93/004 This methodology plays an important role also in the environmental audit of places to be privatized. System and Control Theory The experts of the Systemexpert take part in research activity as well, primarily in the field of system and control theory. They have extremely much foreign and domestic publications. Systemexpert is cooperating with the following institutions:
Systemexpert has already coordinated several scientific projects. The Hungarian State Scientific Research Fund (OTKA) supported projects focusing on the examination of time-dependent linear control systems and its economic and technical applications. This research activity is being continued. In the framework of projects supported by the American - Hungarian Joint Fund, different models and experimental economic methods have been developed and applied to the investigation of the privatization process of the energy Systemexperttor. Recent papers have been published, e.g. in ˇ Applied Mathematics and Computation ˇ Keio Economic Studies ˇ European Journal of Operational Research ˇ Mathematical Analysis and System Theory ˇ Pure Mathematics and Applications Books have been published at ˇ Kluwer Academic Publishers ˇ Springer Verlag