Researchers at the University of Strathclyde have created a new geospatial mapping tool that enables developers to identify land for renewable energy development that complies with both policy and technical requirements.
Called Geospatial Opportunity Mapping (GOMap), the new tool is built on the available QGIS framework. “External plugins have been developed specifically for QGIS to tackle varying issues ranging from estimating evapotranspiration and surface air temperature mapping,” the scientists explained. “GOMap was written in Python version.”
The tool is reportedly able to determine the number of rooftop or ground-mounted solar projects that can be deployed in a given area, as well as the maximum number of wind turbines within a site considering site geometry and the minimum distance required between each turbine. It can also identify buildings that can be connected to a district heating network within a specified distance.
