GIS Applications for Renewable Energy Training Course

Participants can match GIS outputs to development, permitting and investment decisions.

• Development-stage decisions from prospecting through construction and operations
• GIS evidence required for land acquisition and site-control discussions
• Pre-feasibility screening versus bankable resource and engineering studies
• Spatial inputs to environmental impact assessment and permitting submissions
• Investment committee questions answered through mapped project evidence
• Decision registers linking map outputs, assumptions and accountable owners

Participants can source, inspect and document data suitable for energy site screening.

• Authoritative sources for boundaries, infrastructure, terrain and protected areas
• OpenStreetMap features assessed against project-grade infrastructure requirements
• Raster resolution compared with minimum mapping-unit and siting decisions
• Positional accuracy, temporal currency and completeness tested before analysis
• Metadata records capture collection method, processing history and restrictions
• Data licences reviewed for commercial use, redistribution and publication limits

Participants can prepare consistent spatial datasets for renewable energy analysis.

• Reprojecting layers into an appropriate local projected coordinate system
• Clipping national datasets to project areas and study buffers
• Dissolving administrative boundaries while preserving essential planning attributes
• Field calculations standardise units, categories and coded constraint values
• Topology checks identify overlaps, gaps and invalid polygon geometry
• Geoprocessing models document repeatable inputs, parameters and output locations

Participants can derive terrain measures and identify constructability constraints.

• Digital elevation models selected by resolution, coverage and vertical accuracy
• Slope derived from elevation surfaces using percentage and degree outputs
• Aspect analysis identifies orientation conditions for solar array design
• Hillshade and contour mapping reveal terrain patterns for stakeholder review
• Terrain ruggedness indices distinguish developable land from complex topography
• Cut-and-fill implications interpreted from slope, elevation and site boundaries

Participants can assess land availability and competing land-use constraints.

• Land-cover classifications reclassified into developable, conditional and excluded categories
• Parcel boundaries joined with ownership, tenure and land-use attributes
• Agricultural land categories assessed against policy and food-security considerations
• Settlement buffers applied using locally appropriate setback assumptions
• Water bodies, wetlands and floodplains mapped as development constraints
• Contiguous developable polygons measured against minimum project footprint requirements

Participants can evaluate solar resource, orientation and shading factors for photovoltaic sites.

• Global horizontal irradiation mapped from validated solar resource datasets
• Direct normal irradiation interpreted for concentrating solar technology screening
• PVGIS outputs compared with local weather-station and satellite-derived records
• Slope and aspect thresholds defined for fixed-tilt photovoltaic arrays
• Viewshed-based shading analysis identifies terrain and obstruction effects
• Solar suitability scores combine irradiation, terrain, land and exclusion criteria

Participants can screen wind project areas using resource, terrain and setback criteria.

• Wind atlas layers interpreted by hub height, resolution and averaging period
• Mean wind speed distinguished from wind power density metrics
• Terrain exposure and roughness assessed for preliminary turbine siting
• Setback buffers applied around homes, roads, aviation and telecommunications assets
• Turbine layout constraints mapped using rotor diameter and spacing rules
• Wake-loss limitations recognised before detailed micrositing and energy-yield studies

Participants can apply GIS screening methods to non-solar and non-wind renewable options.

• Catchment delineation identifies upstream drainage areas for hydropower screening
• Stream order and flow proxies prioritise potential run-of-river locations
• Biomass feedstock catchments mapped using land-cover and transport-distance data
• Seasonal resource profiles compared for solar, wind and storage combinations
• Hybrid project footprints assessed for co-location opportunities and constraints
• Technology screening criteria aligned with resource quality and infrastructure access

Participants can assess interconnection proximity and infrastructure access using GIS.

• Transmission lines, substations and distribution feeders mapped from available records
• Euclidean distance estimates initial proximity to grid connection assets
• Least-cost path analysis identifies plausible transmission corridor alternatives
• Capacity data distinguished from physical proximity in interconnection screening
• Road-network analysis estimates access distances for construction logistics
• Infrastructure maps document uncertainty where network data remain restricted

Participants can identify environmental constraints requiring avoidance, mitigation or field verification.

• Protected areas classified by legal status, designation and management category
• Critical habitat screening considers species records, corridors and seasonal patterns
• Buffer zones applied around wetlands, watercourses and sensitive ecosystems
• Ramsar sites and Key Biodiversity Areas incorporated into exclusion models
• Cumulative constraint maps distinguish legal exclusions from survey priorities
• Environmental red flags documented for early developer and lender review

Participants can map social receptors, land rights and stakeholder considerations for site decisions.

• Population grids identify settlement density near proposed energy infrastructure
• Community facilities mapped for visual, noise and access impact screening
• Land tenure records assessed for ownership, customary rights and disputes
• Indigenous Peoples territories incorporated where authoritative spatial data exist
• Stakeholder influence-interest matrices linked to geographic project areas
• Social risk maps distinguish consultation priorities from formal exclusion zones

Participants can build and test a transparent renewable energy suitability model.

• Decision criteria translated into measurable spatial variables and thresholds
• Boolean exclusion masks remove legally prohibited and technically unsuitable areas
• Weighted linear combination ranks candidate locations using standardised scores
• Analytic Hierarchy Process compares criteria through pairwise weighting judgments
• Sensitivity analysis tests ranking changes under alternative weight scenarios
• Suitability classes validated against known sites and expert review

Participants can compare development scenarios and prioritise candidate renewable projects.

• Scenario layers represent policy, grid, land and environmental assumptions
• Alternative setback distances tested through parameterised geoprocessing models
• Candidate sites ranked by area, resource quality and grid distance
• Portfolio maps compare project clusters against regional demand centres
• Trade-off matrices record cost, risk, yield and permitting implications
• Uncertainty ranges communicated without overstating preliminary screening results

Participants can use satellite imagery for land-cover verification and project monitoring.

• Sentinel-2 imagery selected using acquisition date, cloud cover and resolution
• False-colour composites distinguish vegetation, water, bare ground and built surfaces
• Normalized Difference Vegetation Index supports vegetation and land-change interpretation
• Supervised classification separates land-cover classes using labelled training samples
• Change detection identifies construction progress and post-development land disturbance
• Image interpretation findings verified against ground data and higher-resolution imagery

Participants can design field verification plans that address critical GIS uncertainties.

• Field verification questions prioritised from uncertainty and project-risk registers
• Mobile data forms capture coordinates, photographs, observations and consent records
• Sampling locations selected across high-risk and representative map classes
• Global Navigation Satellite System accuracy recorded with each field observation
• Ground-truth results update land-cover, access and constraint interpretations
• Fieldwork safety plans address travel, weather, permits and communications

Participants can produce clear map products for technical, executive and community audiences.

• Map purpose defines scale, extent, audience and essential analytical message
• Colour schemes distinguish exclusions, constraints, opportunities and uncertainty classes
• Layout elements include projection, sources, date, legend and scale information
• Inset maps establish regional context and project location relationships
• Map series templates maintain consistent design across site assessment outputs
• Technical narratives explain methods, limitations, assumptions and decision implications

Participants can prepare GIS outputs for controlled sharing and management review.

• Web map layers configured with appropriate visibility, scales and pop-up fields
• Dashboards display candidate sites, constraints and screening performance indicators
• Role-based access controls protect sensitive land, grid and stakeholder information
• Feature services published with metadata, refresh schedules and ownership assignments
• Interactive filters support comparison by technology, region and development stage
• Data-sharing protocols define approved audiences, exports and update responsibilities

Participants can establish controls for repeatable and auditable renewable energy GIS analysis.

• Standard operating procedures define data intake, analysis and publication steps
• Version naming conventions distinguish source data, working files and deliverables
• Quality assurance checklists test geometry, attributes, projections and calculations
• Peer review examines assumptions, weighting logic and cartographic interpretation
• Reproducible workflows retain scripts, models, parameters and intermediate outputs
• Project archives preserve evidence required for investment, permitting and audit

Participants can build, review and present a complete GIS-based renewable energy site assessment and recommendation.

• Project brief defines technology, geography, decision criteria and stakeholder requirements
• Candidate area datasets assembled, documented and prepared for analysis
• Constraint masks and weighted suitability models produce ranked development zones
• Resource, terrain, grid and access findings integrated into site recommendations
• Quality review tests assumptions, limitations, uncertainty and map readability
• Executive map series and technical briefing present recommended next actions