246 research outputs found

    GIS-based suitability analysis on hybrid renewal energy site allocation using integrated MODIS and ASTER Satellite imageries in Peninsular Malaysia

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    © 2018 Proceedings - 39th Asian Conference on Remote Sensing: Remote Sensing Enabling Prosperity, ACRS 2018 This study attempts to find the most suitable places to establish hybrid renewable energy sites (e.g. biomass and solar energy) in Malaysia. We used space borne satellite-derived solar irradiance estimation which is useful and accurate approach for solar resource calculation. To do so, MODIS Terra and Aqua satellite were used to extract values of Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) at 550 nm. Subsequently, other topographic contribution factors were derived from ASTER satellite imagery. MODIS satellite imagery was classified by support vector machine to extract land use/land cover. Additionally, sixteen different metrological stations were utilized to calibrate the solar irradiances achieved from MODIS satellite and provide daily wind data over the entire Peninsular Malaysia. Finally, simple additive weighting method was implemented in geographical information system (GIS) platform to develop the hybrid RE suitability model. MODIS solar radiation result showed a high correlation with field observation. The result of hybrid renewable energy suitability analysis revealed that coastal areas of Hulu Terengganu, have high potential for allocating sites. This country scale research can be used as a guidance/preliminary assessment to narrow down the scope of new potential hybrid RE in regional scale

    GIS-based methodology for evaluating the wind-energy potential of territories: A case study from Andalusia (Spain)

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    In recent years, Spain, in an effort to meet European Union (E.U.) targets, has been developing different strategies to promote the installation of renewable energy plants. In this regard, evaluating territories to assess their potential and thus identify optimum sites for the installation of energy-generating facilities is a crucial task. This paper presents a comprehensive geographic information system (GIS)-based site-selection methodology for wind-power plants in the province of Córdoba, which has hitherto been regarded as unsuitable for this sort of facility owing to the lack of wind resources. Three scenarios have been set out, each of which presents a different set of restrictions. Scenario 2 applies the most stringent restrictions in the specialized literature, and finds no suitable areas for the installation of wind-energy plants. However, Scenario 1, which applies the least stringent restrictions, and Scenario 3, which applies the same restrictions currently in force for other wind turbines already in operation in Andalusia, have led to the identification of several areas that could a priori be considered suitable and now need more detailed analysis. The results illustrate the convenience of undertaking multiscenario analyses

    Construction of a webgis tool based on a gis semiautomated processing for the localization of p2g plants in sicily (Italy)

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    The recent diffusion of RES (Renewable Energy Sources), considering the electric energy produced by photovoltaic and wind plants, brought to light the problem of the unpredictable nature of wind and solar energy. P2G (Power to Gas) implementation seems to be the right solution, trans-forming curtailed energy in hydrogen. The choice of the settlement of P2G plants is linked to many factors like the distances between the gas grid and the settlement of RES plants, the transportation networks, the energy production, and population distribution. In light of this, the implementation of a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) into a Geographic Information System (GIS) processing represents a good strategy to achieve the goal in a specific territorial asset. In this work, this method has been applied to the case of study of Sicily (Italy). The paper shows in detail the geomatic semi-automated processing that allows to find the set of possible solutions and further to choose the best localization for new P2G plants, connected to a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) and integrated with a WebGIS visualization for real-time analysis. This system is useful for the management, the development, and the study of hydrogen technologies, in order to link the electri-cal network and the gas network datasets with economical and infrastructural assets through GIS processing. In the future new factors will join in the process as policies on hydrogen take shape

    DEVELOPMENT OF A GIS FRAMEWORK FOR ONSHORE WIND ENERGY FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT AND SITING EFFORT PRIORITIZATION

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    Already limited by the geophysical requirements inherent to wind energy production, the task of siting wind farms is made all the more daunting for developers by the need to navigate a regulatory environment (undergirded by sociopolitical realities) filled with obstacles to the construction of the tall, rotating structures that comprise a wind farm. Geographic information system analysis is an effective option for managing the vast amounts of data necessary to pinpoint the locations most likely to result in successful development. Past studies have developed methods of combining different limiting factors into a combined score, but efforts within the United States have mostly been theoretical in nature or conducted at a broad scale. A methodology for high resolution wind energy production site prioritization is developed in this thesis, with the state of Ohio being used for a case study. Data ingested into the model were procured from a broad – though mostly governmental – range of reputable sources. The evolving nature of wind energy siting hindrances necessitates a methodology capable of being adapted as new limitations present themselves. The procedures developed in this thesis rely on converting all pertinent data layers into properly aligned rasters. The overall hindrance presented by each layer is quantified on a scale from zero to one, with zero being ascribed to any grid cell rendered incapable of supporting wind energy by the consideration represented by the layer in question. Because the final composite scores are calculated via multiplication of the input layers, a zero in any layer results in a similar preclusion in the composite. The composite scores calculated within this case study confirm that wind farm developers are likely to contend with concerns wherever they attempt to build within Ohio. All of the state’s grid cells have at least one hindrance, largely owing to the mobility of potentially impacted animal species. Nevertheless, the methodology developed in this thesis offers a pathway to identify the areas with the lowest overall hindrance, allowing developers to focus on regions where the concerns necessary to address are kept to a minimum

    Decentralized wind power as part of the relief for an overstrained grid. A case study on Northern Senja, Norway

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    The most significant factor in wind turbine siting is the wind conditions. Those often determine the economic and ecologic success of a project. Especially in topographically complex areas micro siting can be difficult and costly. Small and medium scale projects often lack the knowledge and resources for an extended in situ assessment. A combination of modelled wind data and the use of a geographic information system (GIS) could be an economical competitive approach to find and compare different wind power sites over a larger defined region. This thesis looks at the small community of Northern Senja, a sparsely populated island in Northern Norway. It evaluates the possibility of community scale wind power (maximum 1MW nominal power) with the help of numerical weather prediction (NWP) wind data. The challenge therein lies in the incapability of mesoscale data to predict the influence of the island’s highly complex topography on the wind flow. This mesoscale data is therefore interpolated to a finer grid and corrected for the effect of using a smoothed terrain model. Production maps for a set of predetermined turbines are created with these corrected data and – together with non-wind related criteria – suitable wind power sites determined. One idea behind this approach is to use free accessible satellite data and to work economical on computational resources. It is possible to correct the wind speed for height differences, but the method seems to underestimate the shear effects of the complex topography that leads to a probable overestimation of the expected production. Better tuning with the help of real life measurements, which currently are lacking, and an improved implementation of orographic roughness are proposed to resolve that challenge

    Pathways Forward for Onshore Wind Energy in the State of Maryland: A GIS Multi-Criteria Analysis

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    This study examines pathways forward for onshore wind energy in the State of Maryland. To meet its decarbonization goals, Maryland needs to quickly transition its electric grid away from fossil fuels. The state is currently in the process of developing offshore wind farms that have the potential to represent a significant source of renewable energy. However little progress has been made in expanding Maryland’s onshore wind energy production capacity. Using a multi-criteria GIS analysis, this study found that there is a limited but not inconsiderable area in the state that could be suitable for wind farms of varying scales that are worth investigating for potential future energy projects

    Pet Project or Best Project? Online Decision Support Tools for Prioritizing Barrier Removals in the Great Lakes and Beyond

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    Structures that block movement of fish through river networks are built to serve a variety of societal needs, including transportation, hydroelectric power, and exclusion of exotic species. Due to their abundance, road crossings and dams reduce the amount of habitat available to fish that migrate from the sea or lakes into rivers to breed. The benefits to fish of removing any particular barrier depends on its location within the river network, its passability to fish, and the relative position of other barriers within the network. Balancing the trade-offs between ecological and societal values makes choosing among potential removal projects difficult. To facilitate prioritization of barrier removals, we developed an online decision support tool (DST) with three functions: (1) view existing barriers at various spatial scales; (2) modify information about barriers, including removal costs; and (3) run optimization models to identify portfolios of removals that provide the greatest amount of habitat access for a given budget. A survey of available DSTs addressing barrier removal prioritization indicates that barrier visualization is becoming widespread but few tools allow dynamic calculation of connectivity metrics, scenario analysis, or optimization. Having these additional functions, our DST enables organizations to develop barrier removal priorities based on cost-effectiveness in restoring aquatic connectivity

    A Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment among Small Farmers: A Case Study in Western Honduras

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    Climate change is now affecting every known society. Small farmers in Low Income Countries (LICs) are especially vulnerable to climate change patterns because they depend heavily on rain, seasonality patterns, and known temperature ranges. To help build climate change resilient communities among rural farmers, the first step is to understand the impact of climate change on the population. This dissertation aims to use information and communication technology (ICT) to assess climate change vulnerabilities among rural farmers. To achieve this overall goal, this dissertation first proposes a comprehensive Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Framework (CCVAF) that integrates both community level and individual household level indicators. The CCVAF was instantiated into a GIS-based web application named THRIVE for different decision makers to better assess how climate change is affecting rural farmers in Western Honduras. Qualitative evaluation of the THRIVE showed that it is an innovative and useful tool. The CCVAF and its instantiation provides an important initial step towards building climate change resilience among rural farmers. It is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive set of the indicators with related measurements and data sources for climate change vulnerability assessment. The framework thus contributes to the knowledge base of the climate change vulnerability assessment. It also contributes to the design science literature by providing guidelines to design a class of climate change vulnerability assessment solutions. To the best of our knowledge, the CCVAF is the first generalizable artifact that can be used to build a group of ICT-based climate change vulnerability assessment solutions. Another knowledge contribution of this dissertation is its reproducibility by making the input and output data available to the research and practitioner community through a GeoHub. For practical contributions, the framework can be easily used by researchers and practitioners to consistently design a vulnerability assessment tool, starting with the set of indicators organized by the three-level determinants, and following specific spatial data analysis and models. Such an ICT-based tool adds practical values to tackle climate change challenges

    The Intersection of Wind Energy and Wildlife management: A Case Study of Prairie-Chickens and Wind Turbine Site Selection in Oklahoma

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    The demand for alternatives to fossil fuels has increased over the past couple of years, so it is becoming increasingly important to find alternative energy sources. While wind energy represents one potential alternative energy source, its expansion and development may be problematic for other sustainability efforts such as wildlife management and habitat conservation. One such example is the conflicting relationship between the expansion of wind turbine development in the state of Oklahoma, as it is known to disrupt the management of habitat for the Greater and Lesser prairie-chicken. This thesis explores the conflict between wind energy development and wildlife management by (1) identifying areas of geographic conflict in the state of Oklahoma through a GIS site suitability analysis and (2) conducting a text analysis of existing policies to see if policies mentioned any opposing wind or wildlife policies. The goal of this thesis is to identify areas of intersection between these competing interests in Oklahoma so that wildlife management of species and wind energy development have a way to work together in the future, to ensure the future of wildlife species and wind energy development
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