ABSTRACT
Renewable energy production has gained considerable attention worldwide in recent years, as a means to replace the rapid depletion of fossil fuels and to meet growing demands for energy, predicted to increase by up to three times by 2050. Furthermore, with growing concerns around the world being expressed about rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and the consequent potential impacts of climate
CONTENTS
12.1 Introduction – A Contextual Setting ....................................................... 269 12.2 Coastal and Marine Renewables ............................................................. 271
12.2.1 Wind Energy: Offshore Wind Farms .......................................... 272 12.2.2 Wave Energy ................................................................................... 273 12.2.3 Tidal Energy ................................................................................... 273
12.3 Siting Criteria ............................................................................................. 274 12.4 Spatial Datasets, Data and Information Sources ...................................277 12.5 The Potential of Geospatial Technologies for Siting Marine
Renewables ................................................................................................. 279 12.6 GIS-Based Analytical Methods: MCA, OWA, WLC and AHP ............280 12.7 Case Studies: GIS and Renewable Energy .............................................. 282
12.7.1 GIS and Wind Energy ................................................................... 282 12.7.2 GIS and Tidal Energy ....................................................................283 12.7.3 GIS and Wave Energy ....................................................................283 12.7.4 GIS Siting of Experimental Marine Renewables
and Connection to the Coast ........................................................284 12.7.5 Landscape, Visualization, Participatory GIS
and Web- Based Resources ............................................................284 12.8 Discussion ................................................................................................... 289 12.9 Summary and Conclusion ........................................................................ 290 References ............................................................................................................. 290
change, renewable energy and the associated infrastructures are rapidly becoming an essential part of many countries’ future energy provision and supply plans (www.renewableuk.com/en/renewable-energy/wind-energy /offshore-wind) (Figure 12.1). Increasing the proportion of power generated from renewable energy sources is now seen as playing a vital part in helping to reduce current global emissions.
