Training Course on GIS for Renewable Energy Siting - GIS Software

Module 1: Introduction to GIS for Renewable Energy Siting

Theory:

Overview of GIS applications in renewable energy planning.

Types of renewable energy resources: solar, wind, hydro, biomass.

Role of GIS in identifying potential sites and assessing constraints.

Hands-on: Explore renewable energy datasets and visualize potential resource areas.

Case Study: Mapping solar radiation and wind potential in a region.

Module 2: Data Acquisition and Management

Theory:

Sources of spatial, environmental, and socio-economic data.

Data formats, projections, and GIS database management.

Data quality assessment and preprocessing for renewable energy analysis.

Hands-on: Import, clean, and organize datasets for site suitability analysis.

Case Study: Integrating land cover, slope, and environmental restrictions data.

Module 3: Mapping Renewable Energy Resources

Theory:

Mapping solar irradiance, wind speed, hydro potential, and biomass availability.

Identifying high-potential zones for renewable energy development.

Overlaying multiple resource datasets for comprehensive analysis.

Hands-on: Generate maps showing renewable energy potential by resource type.

Case Study: Mapping optimal wind farm locations based on wind speed and terrain.

Module 4: Site Suitability Analysis and Multi-Criteria Evaluation

Theory:

Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCE) for site selection.

Factors considered: environmental, technical, social, economic, and regulatory.

Weighting, ranking, and scoring suitability factors.

Hands-on: Conduct site suitability analysis using GIS tools.

Case Study: Selecting optimal sites for solar farms considering slope, land use, and proximity to infrastructure.

Module 5: Visualization, Reporting, and Decision Support

Theory:

Creating maps, dashboards, and reports for renewable energy planning.

Communicating findings to stakeholders and decision-makers.

GIS applications in energy policy, investment planning, and environmental compliance.

Hands-on: Develop an interactive dashboard summarizing site suitability results.

Case Study: Presenting renewable energy site recommendations for a regional planning authority.