A systematic review of 97 South and Southeast Asian energy-system modeling studies mapped sectors, time, space, technologies, tools and alignment with national targets. Models overwhelmingly focused on electricity and solar, wind, hydro and biomass. Long-duration storage, carbon removal, demand flexibility, cross-border trade, socioeconomic co-benefits and just-transition metrics were rare. National long-term scales limited subnational and near-term use. India, Indonesia and Vietnam led, while Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka lacked comparable coverage.
Key findings
- Electricity and common renewables dominate; long storage, removal, demand, trade, co-benefits and justice are missing; national long-term scales dominate; modeling capacity is uneven.
Why this matters globally
Mapping blind spots can direct funding toward open models and data for regional grids, sector coupling and equity in a fast-growing climate-vulnerable region.
Thai researcher contribution
Firuz Ahamed Nahid, Ninaad Desai and Joyashree Roy of AIT contribute to the regional synthesis of energy-modeling capacity.
Limitations to consider
Peer-reviewed English literature may miss government, utility and local-language models. Publication count is not quality or policy use; incomplete reporting affects classification; and representation mapping does not validate every projection.