etsap

What etsap does

ETSAP is a non-profit Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) operating under the International Energy Agency (IEA) framework, established in 1976 to coordinate international collaboration on energy systems analysis. It develops and maintains the open-source TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System) energy system optimization model generator, which is used by member-country governments, research institutions, and international organizations to construct long-horizon energy planning scenarios covering power, heat, transport, and industrial demand.

The TIMES framework is built on linear and mixed-integer programming optimization techniques, with stochastic extensions for handling uncertainty. ETSAP supports a complementary software stack including the VEDA (VErsatile Data Analysis) front-end used to manage model inputs and results, the GAMS-based solver interface, the MIRIAM naming conventions for technologies and fuels, and newer applications such as the TIMES/MIRO App and VerveStacks (a pre-built reference energy system launched in 2024). The methodology has been cited in over 1,000 peer-reviewed publications and the modeling guidebook has been downloaded over 100,000 times, with active users reported in more than 90 countries.

ETSAP is governed by 24 Contracting Parties (national governments or sponsoring institutions) paying annual membership fees of approximately EUR 20,000 for governments and EUR 30,000 for sponsors. Additional revenue is generated through training courses, the Tosato Grant program (supporting early-career researchers since 2017), and bespoke support work for non-members. Activities are coordinated through multi-year Annex work programs, with the current Annex XVII running 2026–2028, and through semi-annual workshops and a dedicated Winter School.

Name

etsap

Legal name

Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (ETSAP)

Website

https://iea-etsap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ETSAP is a non-profit IEA Technology Collaboration Programme that develops the open-source TIMES energy system optimization framework, serving 24 contracting governments plus research institutions and international organizations across 90+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contracting Party Membership Fees: Countries pay annual fees to participate in ETSAP as Contracting Parties. The fee structure is 20k€ per annum for governments and 30k€ per annum for sponsors. This covers participation in the collaborative research programme, access to ETSAP tools, and voting rights in the Executive Committee.
2. Training Course Fees: Non-Contracting Parties pay fees to attend ETSAP training courses. Fee structure: Companies €1800, Institutions €1500, University Staff €850, Private persons €850, Students €300 per person per course. Contracting Parties receive free access to training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ETSAP develops and maintains the TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System) open-source energy system optimization model generator, a technology-rich, bottom-up linear programming framework written in GAMS that produces least-cost pathways for meeting projected energy demands under user-defined constraints over long-term horizons. ETSAP also operates the global Contracting Party network of 24+ member countries, delivers structured training programmes (basic/intermediate/advanced), semi-annual workshops, and collaborative research Annexes for energy policy and climate analysis.

Product overview

ETSAP (Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme) is a Technology Collaboration Programme of the International Energy Agency that develops and promotes the open-source TIMES framework for energy system optimization. The core product is the TIMES model generator, a technology-rich, bottom-up linear programming framework written in GAMS for long-term energy pathway analysis. The product ecosystem includes VEDA (primary interface by KanORS-EMR), ANSWER (legacy interface by Noble-Soft), the global ETSAP-TIAM model, demonstration/starter models (VEDA-TIMES Demo Models, TIMES-Starter Platform), specialized tools (VerveStacks, xl2times, Generative COMET), the E-TechDS technology database, and Veda Online for educational access. Services include training courses, workshops, webinars, case studies, and published books. MARKAL remains supported as a legacy predecessor.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ETSAP-TIAM: The official global model of IEA-ETSAP, a technology-rich, bottom-up optimization model spanning 16 global regions.
• TIMES

Products and services

• TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System) Flagship open-source energy system optimization model generator. Technology-rich, bottom-up linear programming framework that produces least-cost pathways for meeting projected energy demands under user-defined constraints over long-term horizons. Written in GAMS, distributed under GNU GPL v3.0, and applied worldwide by governments, researchers, and international organisations.
• MARKAL Legacy predecessor to TIMES, originally developed since 1976 by the ETSAP community. MARKAL code continues to be supported but no new development is planned; replaced by TIMES for new users.
• ETSAP-TIAM (TIMES Integrated Assessment Model) Official global model of IEA-ETSAP, available to Contracting Parties. Technology-rich, bottom-up optimization model spanning 16 global regions and five end-use sectors with detailed seasonal and intraday time slices, minimising total system costs while exploring long-term decarbonisation pathways.
• VerveStacks Open-use energy modelling platform providing ready-to-use, decision-grade power-sector models. Covers 100+ countries at native hourly resolution (8,760 hours) with 50×50 km spatial detail for renewable resource modelling, integrating multiple global energy datasets into a single framework.
• Veda Online Cloud-based platform for Veda-TIMES modelling offered free to educational institutions. Enables students to learn modelling with public GitHub model support and instructional resources.
• Trainings, Workshops & Webinars Structured training courses at introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels covering the TIMES modelling workflow. Workshops are held twice yearly alongside Executive Committee meetings and are free and open to all interested in energy systems modelling. Webinars on emerging themes are recorded and published on the ETSAP YouTube channel. Free for Contracting Parties; fee-based per course for non-members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Applied in over 90 countries by leading research institutions, government agencies, and international organisations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• International Energy Agency (IEA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETSAP is a Technology Collaboration Programme (TCP) of the IEA, reporting directly to the Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT). The IEA Secretariat provides desk officer support and governance oversight.
• KanORS-EMRcoreTechnology or IntegrationDevelops and maintains VEDA (VErsatile Data Analyst), the primary commercial interface for TIMES models. Based in India, serving licensed users in over 90 countries. Contact: Dr. Amit Kanudia.
• GAMS Development CorporationcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides GAMS (General Algebraic Modeling System), the commercial programming language in which TIMES source code is written. Required to run TIMES models.
• IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince September 2011, ETSAP E-TechDS worked with IRENA to develop and update briefs on renewable energy technologies.
• CSIRO (Australia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation represents Australia as Contracting Party. Delegates: Mr. Luke Reedman (ExCo) and Mr. Thomas Brinsmead (Alternate).
• VITO / EnergyVille (Belgium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian Contracting Party represented by VITO and SPW. Developed TIMES-BE model and hosts online Tableau viewer for Belgium's energy scenarios.
• CanmetENERGY in Varennes (Canada)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents Canada as Contracting Party. Alternate delegate from ESMIA Consultants (Kathleen Vaillancourt, Operating Agent).
• Danish Energy Agency (Denmark)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents Denmark as Contracting Party with delegates Steffen Dockweiler and Lars B. Termansen.
• VTT Technical Research Centre (Finland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents Finland with Tiina Koljonen as ExCo delegate and Deputy Chair. VTT hosts Finnish workshops and training sessions.
• ADEME and Mines Paris Tech (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance's Contracting Party represented by ADEME and Centre for Applied Mathematics (CMA) Mines Paris Tech. Coordinated International Autumn School 2023.
• IER Stuttgart (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute for Energy Economics and Rational Use of Energy represents Germany. Markus Blesl serves as Deputy Chair of ExCo. Hosted Stuttgart workshops.
• University College Cork / MaREI Centre (Ireland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrian Ó Gallachóir (UCC) serves as Chair of ExCo. Developed TIMES-Ireland Model (TIM) with results accessible via web app.
• RSE (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRSE represents Italy as Contracting Party with delegates Ms. Maria Gaeta and Mr. Fabio Lanati.
• UCL Energy Institute (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCL Energy Institute serves as alternate delegate for UK. Led wholeSEM consortium launching bi-directional Fellowship Programme for energy modelling experts.
• U.S. Energy Information Administration (US)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIA represents the United States as Contracting Party with delegate Angelina La Rose. Co-hosted 2023 summer workshop with Columbia University.
• Columbia University Center on Global Energy PolicycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted multiple workshops with ETSAP including special workshops on Human Dimension and Energy Trade in TIMES models, and webinars on climate variations.
• Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in EU Horizon NEWPATHWAYS project. Uses TIMES and related models for climate policy analysis.
• IEA Energy Storage TCP (ES TCP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerETSAP collaborated with IEA Energy Storage Task 32 to develop an open-source modelling platform for energy storage.
• IETS TCP (Industrial Energy Technologies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint workshops on industrial sector modelling in energy systems held in November 2025.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA): Long-running ETSAP collaborator on renewable energy technology briefs and global scenario analysis; an ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor, providing complementary policy and data infrastructure.
• GAMS Development Corporation: Vendor of the General Algebraic Modeling System on which the TIMES model generator is written; a critical enabling technology provider rather than a competing energy model.
• Enerdata: Commercial energy research and data provider producing global energy scenario analyses and country-level energy balances that often complement or substitute for TIMES-based studies in policy advisory work.

Direct peers

• Open Energy Modelling Framework (oemof): Open-source Python-based framework for energy system modelling with comparable bottom-up, optimisation-driven design philosophy to TIMES, attracting academic and research users.
• Energy Exemplar (PLEXOS): Commercial provider of PLEXOS, a leading energy market simulation and optimisation platform used by utilities, regulators, and system planners. Competes with TIMES for production-cost and capacity-expansion modelling engagements.
• KanORS-EMR (VEDA): Developer of VEDA, the de facto commercial user interface and ecosystem for TIMES and MARKAL models, serving licensed users in over 90 countries. Operates as a core partner tightly coupled to the TIMES workflow.
• Stockholm Environment Institute (LEAP): Develops the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system, another widely used technology-rich, bottom-up energy system modelling tool used by governments and researchers worldwide for integrated energy-environment planning.

Broad incumbents

• US Energy Information Administration (NEMS): Operates the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) for integrated long-term energy-economy modelling in the US; a broader, government-owned incumbent whose modelling role overlaps with TIMES' national energy planning use cases.

Emerging players

• Cambridge Econometrics (E3ME): Provider of E3ME, a global macro-econometric model with energy-environment linkages used for climate and energy policy analysis; partially overlaps with TIMES' multi-regional, multi-sectoral scope.
• KTH Royal Institute of Technology (PyPSA / MESMER): Academic-origin maintainers of PyPSA, an open-source power system optimisation framework increasingly used for European and global energy system studies that historically would have used TIMES.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@etsapiea1553
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iea-etsap-energy-technology-systems-analysis-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about etsap