About the project

This service includes generating solar farm suitability maps, which are designed to pinpoint optimal locations for developing solar farms by evaluating key factors such as solar irradiance, land use patterns, and proximity to prohibited areas. This service involves the integration of EO products with non-EO geospatial products, creating a comprehensive solution that better addresses real-world user needs.

The primary objective of the service is to enhance decision-making processes by offering a detailed and holistic analysis of geographical regions, helping stakeholders identify the most suitable locations for solar farm development. The service focuses on improving solar resource assessment, reducing development costs, and supporting long-term planning.

This study evaluates the suitability of Kent, a county in southeastern England, for solar farm development using Earth Observation (EO) data and geographic information systems (GIS) in three stages. The first stage identifies and excludes areas unsuitable for solar farms due to factors such as complex topography or proximity to wildlife reserves and historical sites. In the second stage, locations are ranked based on various criteria, including the amount of solar radiation they receive. Finally, the third stage integrates the findings from the previous steps to generate a suitability map that categorizes Kent into different suitability levels: ‘Not Suitable,’ ‘Least Suitable,’ ‘Moderately Suitable,’ and ‘Most Suitable’.