High Resolution Inventory of Renewable Electricity Generation Potentials in Europe

Abstract

Efficient integration of fluctuating renewable energy resources into electricity supply systems requires information about temporal and spatial availability of all renewable energy sources. Aiming at the provision of such information, high spatial and temporal resolution inventories of solar, wind, biomass, water and geothermal electricity generation potentials in Europe are developed at the German Aerospace Center using a GIS (geographic information system). The potential inventories are generated in three steps: resource analysis, area analysis, technology simulation. Data from different sources - remote sensing and statistical data - are harmonised and combined in the GIS and in other data processing programs. The inventories will be linked to a model for balancing potential renewable electricity generation with demand, aggregating regional generation and demand on user defined nodes (e.g. electric power transformation stations) and calculating balancing energy fluxes. The model results shall be used as a basis for reconciliation and further development of energy supply scenarios at the German Aerospace Center. The poster gives an overview over the methods of high resolution inventory building taking as examples photovoltaic and biomass electricity generation potentials in Europe.