Potential Analyses of Renewables and GIS Analyses for Obligatory PV

We determine renewable energy potential for all important energy sources and energy resources such as wind energy, solar energy, biomass, and environmental energy. The results of these potential analyses form the basis for technical, economic, and organizational measures and commitments to switch to renewable energies, as well as for managing the spatial development of regions.

Together with other data such as energy requirements and other building-specific data, the information can be integrated into data platforms and digital twins, where it can be linked and further processed. These tools can be used for virtual urban planning and development to support energy system planning, monitoring, and measure development.

Furthermore, we also prepare expert reports on the technical and economic framework conditions of specific climate protection measures, such as the PV obligation, which stipulates that photovoltaic systems must be installed on roofs under certain conditions in new buildings and after renovation.

Our R&D Services on the Topic “Potential Analyses of Renewables and GIS Analyses for Obligatory PV” Include:

• Data Collection and Analysis on the Stock of Renewable Energy Installations
• Calculation of Different Renewable Energy Potentials at the Neighborhood, Municipal, City, and/or State Level
• Creation and Editing of 3D Models (City or Neighborhood-Wide)
• Provision of Data (3D, 2D) Via Data Exchange Platforms
• Creation of Maps, Heat Maps, 3D Visualizations, and Animations
• Expert Opinions on PV and Solar Roof Requirements

The evaluation of existing data on the stock of renewable energy installations (photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind power installations) provides answers to a range of questions on land use, installed capacity of different types of installations, and time-resolved expansion in recent years.

This can also support further planning for the expansion of various technologies, applications for subsidy programs, and the determination of the future renewable energy mix. An inventory analysis also provides the basis for a more accurate potential analysis, as land already in use can be reclassified or excluded entirely.

Determining and understanding the potential of renewable energy sources and technologies is the basis for any energy system planning and implementation.

In our projects, we determine the PV-potential for various applications, integrated into already used areas, on open spaces, or as an overall concept for municipalities, but also solar thermal, wind power, biomass, or hydropower potential.

We evaluate 2D and 3D (geo) data and take technical, infrastructural, legal, economic, and ecological requirements into account.

• PV potential for Municipalities (overall concept)
• PV potential on building roofs (roof- and building-specific)
• PV potential for building integration
• PV potential on open spaces (area-specific)
• PV potential for agricultural areas (agrivoltaics)
• PV potential for water areas (floating photovoltaics)
• PV potential in urban areas, including parking lot roofs (area-specific)
• PV potential along motorways and railway lines (area-specific)
• Solar thermal potential on building roofs (roof- and building-specific)
• Solar thermal potential on open spaces (area-specific)
• Wind power potential
• Biomass potential
• Hydropower potential

3D models are becoming increasingly important in urban planning. For example, 3D city models are used today for simulations of noise and exhaust gases, shadow analyses, or predictions of possible changes in the urban climate. In the renewable energy sector, 3D city models enable the visualization of innovative energy concepts and components, among other things. In addition, 3D city models are used to simulate heating and cooling requirements for individual buildings and to make informed statements about the use of renewable energies. Our work in the field of 3D city modeling is based on the international standard exchange format CityGML, which includes various levels of detail (LoD) and supports the integration of semantic information in the form of metadata and object attributes.

We have implemented data exchange platforms in various projects to enable project partners to exchange data easily and openly. These platforms allow predefined access rights and relevant data protection guidelines to be set individually and different user types to be defined. The platforms also enable networking with other similar digital structures and services, which significantly expands the range of accessible information and data with minimal effort.

With the help of a wide range of GIS, 3D, and script-based solutions, we can convert essential (geo) data and the results of our evaluations and analyses into various meaningful and standardized end products such as maps, visualizations, diagrams, or animations. This allows processes to be better visualized and documented, making it easier for customers to understand their results.

Application examples:

• Design of the heating network
• Heat map analysis of energy consumption/demand
• Visualization of 3D city models for urban planning
• Simulation and visualization of shadows cast by buildings or objects

In order to accelerate the expansion of photovoltaics in cities, many cities are implementing obligations for the installation of photovoltaic systems in both new and existing buildings. In addition, as climate change progresses, more and more cities are asking themselves what concrete measures can be taken to adapt to climate change. One way to combat local heat islands in cities is to install green roofs. For this reason, the first cities in Germany and other countries have introduced green roof requirements or are currently discussing them. These require the installation of green roofs in new buildings or when roofs are renovated. It is also possible to combine green roof requirements with a requirement to install PV systems. In our expert reports, we examine how such requirements should be designed, both for PV and green roofs, as well as for a combination of both. In doing so, we evaluate economic and legal aspects as well as other advantages that may result from installation.