Delta E Plus(ΔE+) research group, based in the School of Sustainable Energy Engineering
at SFU, were awarded the Canadian Open Data Society (CODS) Open Data Equity Award
for our work on open data practices and open-source modelling. The Canadian Open Data Society recognizes and celebrates excellence in open data in Canada through the
Canadian Open Data Awards. The ceremony was held on Nov 23rd, 2023 in Victoria at the Canadian Open Data Summit Awards Dinner.

ΔE+builds modelling tools for sustainable development and our work is steeped in open-
source and open data best practices. Our open source, open data tools such as
OSeMOSYS Global enable modelers and policy analysts to create models for their
country/region of interest quickly and efficiently, improving access and transparency and reducing the barrier to entry for policymakers.

We work with International and Canadian governments and collaborators in ways that
closed-source models and proprietary data sources would prevent. We believe that open
modelling improves equity and accessibility and ensures better policy outcomes for
sustainable development. As active members of the global modelling community we support open modelling around the globe.

An important aspect of our work is applying an equity and justice lens to our work. We are actively working with communities to incorporate engagement and equity implications into our modelling to illustrate how open-source modelling and open data are essential to good policy decisions.

Specific examples of our open research activities include:
OSeMOSYS Global is an open, freely available open electricity model
generator for any arbitrary region of the planet. Built using the OSeMOSYS
open-source energy systems model and open data sets, the OSeMOSYS
workflow is freely available on GitHub (https://github.com/OSeMOSYS/osemosys_global).

Active contributors to the Roundtable Discussions on Strategic Energy
Planning where modellers and international development agencies work
together to develop guidelines and best practices for open modelling. One significant outcome of these roundtable meetings (10th meeting was July 2023) is the U4RIA Principles for accessible, open and transparent modelling using open-source tools and open datasets (https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-311311/v1).

Invited to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Net Zero Modelling
Workshop to speak on open modelling best practices.

Applying these principles to the Canadian conext through the open-source
and open data CLEWs Canada(https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esr.2022.100929),
BC Nexus (a CLEWs model of BC) and BC PyPSA models. The BC models
are currently under development funded by a Pacific Institute of Climate
Solution grant and the models will be released open source as part of these
grants while the CLEWs Canada model is freely available and the publication
is open access.

ΔE+members are regularly invited to be trainers for the Energy Modelling Platform
events (http://www.energymodellingplatform.org/) where modellers from a region
(Africa in April 2023 in Nambia, Latin America and Caribbean in January 2023 in
Costa Rica and February 2024 in Brazil) and the UN Summer School on Modelling
(Italy every June since 2017). At these events modellers, usually from the global
south, are invited to learn about open modelling principles and applications to
provide policy insights for their countries. ΔE+has also partnered with Catalyste+ to
support modelling in Kenya and Guyana using open principles.