shifting the paradigm: developing tools for evaluating renewable energy potential in rhode island

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Shifting the Paradigm:Developing Tools for Evaluating Renewable Energy 

Potential in Rhode Island

Shifting the Paradigm:Developing Tools for Evaluating Renewable Energy 

Potential in Rhode Island

Environmental Data Center, University of Rhode IslandKathleen M. Mallon Outreach Center, University of Rhode IslandEnvironment Northeast

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  FrameworkMapping Within the RESP:  Framework

Gather Available InformationAnalyticsTools and UtilitiesVisualizationDistribution

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Trends and StatisticsGather available info

Mapping Within the RESP:  Trends and StatisticsGather available info

Regional PatternsState Views

Data to include: energy production; transmission; consumption; delivery systems

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Trends and StatisticsGather available info

Mapping Within the RESP:  Trends and StatisticsGather available info

Regional Patterns

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative:  Electricity Consumption

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative:  Electricity Generation by Fuel Type

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Trends and StatisticsGather available info

Mapping Within the RESP:  Trends and StatisticsGather available info

State Summaries– Requires better 

resolution of data– Non‐traditional 

mapping methods– Coordinating with 

NGrid

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Wind PowerGather available info

Mapping Within the RESP:  Wind PowerGather available info

Elevation Land Cover Wind Speed with Turbines

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Low‐Head Hydro PowerGather available info

Mapping Within the RESP:  Low‐Head Hydro PowerGather available info

Potential/Constraints for Power Development Using Existing DamsData Needs– Dam characteristics– Elevation– Watershed boundaries– Land cover– Flow statistics

Wikipedia.org

Traditional Hydroelectric  Facility

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Low‐Head Hydro PowerGather available infoAnalytics

Mapping Within the RESP:  Low‐Head Hydro PowerGather available infoAnalytics

INL Virtual Hydropower Prospector– Locate and assess resource potential

USGS StreamStats– Watershed development

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar PowerGather available info

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar PowerGather available info

PV Potential on Closed Landfill SitesData Needs– Elevation– Meteorological info– Existing array locations Solarenergyfact.org

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar PowerGather available info

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar PowerGather available info

Digital Elevation ModelsSolarenergyfact.org

Source:  NED 30m (~98ft) Source:  LiDAR 0.6m (2ft)

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Esri, 2011

Used by Multiple Agencies/Groups  – U.S. Forest Service– Renewable Energy Atlas of 

Vermont– Solar Boston

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Hemispherical (“fisheye”) view

Develop Viewshed

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Esri, 2011

Viewshed – determines area of available sky

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Sunmap – direct radiation Skymap – diffuse radiationEsri, 2011 Esri, 2011

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Direct Radiation  Diffuse Radiation 

Esri, 2011

GlobalRadiation

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Solarenergyfact.org

Elevation Surface Solar Potential W‐h/m²

Solar Potential– Status – Ongoing, evaluating 

methodology with TMY data

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Mapping Within the RESP:  Solar AnalystGather available infoAnalytics

Original Solar Potential Output

Solar Potential With Constraints– Roads, Wetlands, 100yr floodplain

Solar Potential With Constraints Removed

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Tools and UtilitiesGather available infoAnalyticsTools

Mapping Within the RESP:  Tools and UtilitiesGather available infoAnalyticsTools

Site Evaluation Tools– No need to reinvent the wheel

PVWatts Viewerhttp://mapserve3.nrel.gov/PVWatts_Viewer/index.html

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Tools and UtilitiesGather available infoAnalyticsTools

Mapping Within the RESP:  Tools and UtilitiesGather available infoAnalyticsTools

In My Backyard (IMBY)http://mercator.nrel.gov/imby/

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  Tools and UtilitiesGather available infoAnalyticsTools

Mapping Within the RESP:  Tools and UtilitiesGather available infoAnalyticsTools

In My Backyard (IMBY)http://mercator.nrel.gov/imby/

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  VisualizationGather available infoAnalyticsToolsVisualization/Distribution

Mapping Within the RESP:  VisualizationGather available infoAnalyticsToolsVisualization/Distribution

Look; Find; Communicate

http://www.vtenergyatlas.com/

http://www.njenergydatacenter.org/

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  VisualizationGather available infoAnalyticsToolsVisualization/Distribution

Mapping Within the RESP:  VisualizationGather available infoAnalyticsToolsVisualization/Distribution

Look; Find; Communicate

http://openpv.nrel.gov/gallery

The Open PV Project

Renewable Energy Sit ing Partnership (RESP):Help ing Communi t ies make Renewab le Energy Dec is ions

Mapping Within the RESP:  VisualizationGather available infoAnalyticsToolsVisualization/Distribution

Mapping Within the RESP:  VisualizationGather available infoAnalyticsToolsVisualization/Distribution

Primary Features:> RI energy summaries and RE info> Background energy info> Charts, graphs, tables, maps of 

regional/state energy usage> Resource potential and site 

evaluation tools> Downloadable data and maps

Web Design RFP> Final interviews in process