Noble-Soft Systems

Noble-Soft Systems is an Australian based software development company that focuses on supporting and developing the ANSWER user interface which is used in over 80 institutions around the world by energy policy analysts working with the MARKAL energy model. The MARKAL model was developed by the International Energy Agency’s Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (IEA-ETSAP). For information about IEA-ETSAP and the MARKAL energy model see www.etsap.org and www.etsap.org/Tools/MARKAL.htm.

The Director of Noble-Soft Systems is Dr Ken Noble (noblesoft@netspeed.com.au) who has had an active involvement with MARKAL and IEA-ETSAP since 1993.

 

ANSWER

The ANSWER user interface is a user friendly Windows based interface for working with the MARKAL family of models. It provides the energy analyst with tools for data entry/edit, initiation of a MARKAL run, and results handling.

ANSWER was the first Windows interface for working with MARKAL and has been available since 1998. Since that time, it has been continually upgraded to offer enhanced facilities including the support of new MARKAL model variants as they have become available.

ANSWER supports working with the majority of MARKAL model variants and options, including Elastic Demand MARKAL (including with Income Elasticity), MARKAL-MACRO, MARKAL-MICRO, Stochastic MARKAL, MARKAL with Endogenous Technology Learning (ETL), MARKAL with Environmental Damages, MARKAL with Lumpy Investments, MARKAL with Goal Programming, Multi-Region MARKAL with Bilateral and Global Trade.

ANSWER was originally developed and marketed over the period 1996 to 2003 by ETSAP Partner ABARE, Australia, with then ABARE staff member Dr Ken Noble having primary responsibility. In late 2003 Ken Noble retired from ABARE, established Noble-Soft Systems Pty Ltd and purchased the ANSWER software from ABARE, thereby ensuring continuing development and support for the software.

 

 

This site is currently under construction.

If you would like additional information about ANSWER, please email Dr Ken Noble at noblesoft@netspeed.com.au or visit this site again at a later date.