Adding new land coverage constraints based on "terrain profile" through Atlite

[pz-max]

Context:
Atlite can exclude i.e. offshore wind potentials through looking at bathymetry data (deepness of the sea). Similar excluded are also areas that are currently under protection.

Idea:
What about excluding also areas for certain technologies based on the slope/ or terrain profile on land? This could for instance lead to exclusion of wind potentials around mountains/steep hills or the exclusion of solar potentials on the north/south slope of mountains/hills (depending on the location -> south or north of the equator)

Tool:
GemGIS seems to be a useful Python-based open-source tool for that purpose. It is described as spatial data processing for geological modelling. Check out GemGIS.

[pz-max]

@euronion not for our prototype but maybe smt for later?

[euronion]

Yes, I think that's a good idea!
Maybe we don't even need the additional software dependency.

[pz-max]

• Slope can be generated on a global scale. E.g. use Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (STRM) at 30x30 m2 resolution and calculate the slope:
• Slope angle = np.arctan(difference in elevation between two neighbouring rasters / "Bird view" distance between two points). FYI, the slope angle for one rectangular raster cell can generate slope angles in all directions (north, south, etc. which can be useful/ or over-engineered)
• Exclusion condition per technology needs some thoughts

[euronion]

If someone is interested in tackling this:

Slope can also be generated from GEBCO data using gdal. An implementation similiar on how we could derive slope from the GEBCO data and include into the workflow can be found here

https://github.com/euronion/trace/blob/replace-gegis/rules/renewables.smk

and here

https://github.com/euronion/trace/blob/replace-gegis/actions/build_potentials_and_profiles.py.ipynb

Slope values to restrict RES expansion to can be found e.g. in this IRENA report:

https://www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Publication/2015/IRENA-LBNL_Africa-RE-_CEC_2015.pdf

or in the IRENA MSR repository directly:

https://github.com/bhussain89/Model-Supply-Regions-MSR-Toolset

[davide-f]

Thanks @euronion for the suggestion! since you highlighted, would you like to create the issue?

[euronion]

Sure! #377