GOMap: A Python-developed GIS opportunity mapping tool for renewable energy technologies

Abstract

A Geospatial Opportunity Mapping (GOMap) tool was developed to identify land that is unconstrained both within policy regulations and technical feasibility for the deployment of renewable energy technologies (RET). Typically, current opportunity mapping tools are populated with only technical information with few tools containing additional policy-related information. GOMap combines both highly detailed policy and technical spatial information and generates high-resolution opportunity maps highlighting areas suitable for RET project development. Weightings can be applied to policy and technical information depending on its significance in conjunction with built-in energy models to quantify annual energy generation as a function of different parameters based on the selected RET.