Model Adaption

Use of an existing model can consume more planning resources than anticipated. Even when an appropriate model is available, source code can be obtained, and there are resources and expertise to use it, adaptation of the model to the specific project will almost always be required. An existing model may not be technically verified for use in the current physical setting, or it may have a temporal or spatial scale that is too coarse or fine for the project. Calibration and verification of the model for application can be time-consuming, as can acquisition of data required by the model but nonessential to evaluation of the current project. In such cases, use of an existing model can prove more costly than the development of a new model. This is especially the case if the existing model is complex and resource-intensive.