National renewable energy map more valuable than ever
An online map that helps renewable energy developers find the best locations for new Australian projects has received major upgrades.
The Australian Renewable Energy Mapping Infrastructure (AREMI), developed by CSIRO’s Data61 with funding support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), provides free and open access to a wide array of Australian renewable energy data and is a repository for ARENA-funded knowledge.
ARENA CEO Ivor Frischknecht said AREMI was a priceless tool for finding out where renewable energy can add the most value in the National Electricity Market.
“AREMI helps project developers and researchers find the best opportunities for renewable energy in Australia and is speeding up the transition to a low carbon energy system,” Mr Frischknecht said.
“Effectively mapping and sharing renewable energy information is critical to building the energy systems of the future. This is the first time such an extensive collection of powerful renewable energy information has been available in the one place.”
Data61 will unveil an enhanced user interface for the AREMI platform today at the Clean Energy Summit in Melbourne.
“Data61 has collected feedback from a range of industry users to inform enhancements that make AREMI faster to navigate and make it easier to compare different datasets,” Mr Frischknecht said.
“These latest improvements make the platform easier to use and more effective at visualising complex data to assist energy market developments.”
New network opportunity maps, developed with ARENA support and hosted on AREMI, were also announced by the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures at the summit.
“The expanded network opportunity maps show where energy demand is expected to outstrip supply. These are often locations where renewables offer an alternative to extra poles and wires and can reduce power prices whilst increasing network stability.
“In addition to the network maps, bioenergy project developers can use AREMI to find untapped biomass resources, thanks to an ARENA-supported project with the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation (RIRDC).
“The maps also include ocean data from the ARENA-supported CSIRO wave atlas, which is a boon to our emerging wave power sector.
“This collaboration, which includes project partners Geoscience Australia and the Clean Energy Council, is a live example of different ARENA-supported projects working together effectively. I look forward to seeing the AREMI platform continue to improve and inform Australia’s energy industry.”
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