ISF New Maps Show Renewable Opportunities

The Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at the University of Technology Sydney has released its first set of maps showing opportunities for renewable energy as part of its ARENA supported mapping project.

The new maps draw on sample data from electricity Network Service Providers to show network constraints and planned investment. They are hosted on the Australian Renewable Energy Mapping Infrastructure (AREMI) platform, which is also being developed with ARENA funding support.

Acting ARENA CEO Ian Kay said the project could encourage increased renewable energy investment by showing where renewables can add the most value in the National Electricity Market.

“The inclusion of the maps on the AREMI platform will complement other energy resource and infrastructure datasets. This is a clear demonstration of how our support facilitates knowledge sharing to eliminate barriers and accelerate the uptake of renewable energy,” Mr Kay said.

The Hon. Greg Hunt, Federal Minister for the Environment, said it was critical that we make the best, most efficient use of renewable energy.

“Investing in technology to map the most valuable locations to invest in renewables will drive further investment in renewables innovation. This important work by UTS, supported by the Australian Government through ARENA, is a step towards reducing peak electricity demand and showing where renewables can add the most value,” Mr Hunt said.

The sample maps are now available via the ISF project webpage.

ISF is actively seeking feedback about the maps via a short survey to inform decisions about future maps. The next iteration is planned for release in May 2016 and will include complete data from all network service providers.

ARENA is providing $453,000 funding to ISF to support the $1 million project.