Compass have had the rewarding opportunity to combine work relating to the Green Economy and the Smart Economy by providing innovative technology solutions for the optimal, sustainable exploitation of renewable energy resources. Using our geoweb mapping services, we can help clients to plan for best use of renewable energy sources by enabling modelling, analysis and better management and security of their data, wider diffusion of information to those who need it in forms that they can understand, and encouraging collaboration among stakeholders.
Mapping and Modelling Bioenergy Resources
Compass developed a web-based management and analysis tool for the analysis and modelling of bioenergy crops – a system now in use in Ireland, but which can be adapted easily to other countries. The system helps answer key questions regarding development of bioenergy:
- Where are current bioenergy resources and demand?
- What is the potential bioenergy output from all resources?
- What is the cost of production?
- What is the return on bioenergy production?
- What is the carbon cost of bioenergy production?
- What is the future potential for sustainable bioenergy production?
The Bioenergy Mapping System can integrate a vast range of datasets and, by incorporating various models for different types of analyses, permits new ways to analyse crop suitability, yield, cost, profitability and sustainability to address the above questions in a fully collaborative manner.
For more information please see the following article published in GEO:connexion (April 2010), and our paper as submitted to the i-SUP2010 conference. To view the system visit http://www.seai.ie/Renewables/Bioenergy.
Geothermal Data Sharing
Working with geothermal data as supplied by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), Compass designed an atlas map viewer that is readily adaptable to other national or local datasets. For the Geothermal Atlas published at maps.seai.ie/geothermal, data shared includes measured subsurface temperatures, modelled subsurface temperatures, and geologic regions and rock type. The geothermal data are viewable in the context of Google served data layers, and are useful for researchers, consultants and decision-makers interested in assessing the geothermal potential at any location.
Wind Maps for All
Compass’ customisable Wind Atlas Viewer allows display of digital maps of wind energy resources, both onshore and offshore, providing detailed information on wind speeds, off-shore exclusion zones, and distribution networks for specific locations. The Wind Atlas assists decision makers and developers in wind farm planning and is used by local authorities to help identify areas suitable for wind energy developments. The Wind Atlas as supplied to the SEAI in Ireland is available at maps.seai.ie/wind with more background information available here.
Wave and Current Energy Modelling
Compass offer a toolkit that allows display and interpretation of the data arising from complex wave and current computational models, used by non-specialist and professionals alike. This toolkit was initially devloped as the mapping system component for the Predictive Model of the Irish Sea (PRISM) project, where the map viewer can be seen today at www.prism.ie.
Sensor Data Management & Integration
The vast array of data now collected to support decision making is an increasing problem for planners when analysing site suitability and performance for renewable energy projects. Huge amounts of data flows from wave buoys, wind and current sensors, which must then be integrated with other environmental and operational data sources. This is where enterprise-level data management, analysis, reporting, and map-based visualisation play a valuable role. Using standards-based approaches, sharing of such integrated data can be made more efficient and yields more valuable results.