The US Department of Energy has created a software tool not unlike Sim City that can project scenarios for an actual population's energy, transportation and fuel needs. The software made its debut recently modeling a development in Jinan, China.
Warren Karlenzig was invited to see the program in action. He writes, "The researchers examined where Lu Jing Superblock (built in 2008) residents worked and went to school, how they commuted, where they shopped, what kinds of appliances they owned and how they used them, and even how much meat and what kind of products they ate.
The result was perhaps the closest-yet attempt at modeling and thus being able to forecast the complete energy needs of a segment of urban population. This allows an integrated assessment of required energy supply and expected impacts far beyond a single structure, energy type or industry."
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