ABSTRACT
This chapter shows how MuSIASEM can be employed to generate an integrated assessment of the feasibility, viability and desirability of alternative energy sources, and more in general to characterize scenarios of alternative exosomatic metabolic patterns of society. The analysis focuses both on the potential contribution and convenience of two potential alternative primary energy sources for the production of electricity in South Africa: concentrated solar power and woody biomass. The chapter illustrates how to integrate technical and spatial analyses into the multi-level system of accounting. The case study described in the chapter shows that the MuSIASEM toolkit can be tailored to specific issues when focusing on just one dimension, in this case energy, whereas it keeps information on other relevant dimensions that could be expanded 'a la carte' depending on the purpose of the study.
