Geomatics and bioenergy feasibility assessments: Taking stock and looking forward

Renewable energy resources are spatially distributed, and their potential to contribute to societal energy supplies is dependent on local geographic nuances. To provide relevant and robust baseline information, these spatial qualities must be considered when assessing resource availability or technology performance. This is the impetus behind the application of geomatics in the field of renewable energy. Given that each renewable energy source option has unique geographic qualities, a one-size-fits-all analytical approach is not possible. It is thus important to examine how the geographic qualities of specific renewable energy options are managed in the methodological approaches that are used to assess them. To this end, this paper reviews the ways in which geomatics has been used to provide geographic information about bioenergy feasibility, and to solve fundamental bioenergy measurement problems in terms of distinguishing actual from potential feedstock, quantifying multiple biomass supply options, and assessing the scope of conversion platforms. Particular attention is given to data quality, the commensurability of data models and the energy sources they attempt to visualize and analyze, the methods used for facility location decisions, and the capacity to perform site-specific analyses of technology performance. The paper also discusses the ways that the ‘static’ nature of geographic information can be overcome to take seriously the temporal issues that are related to bioenergy feasibility. Moving forward, bioenergy assessments must begin with a comprehensive resource assessment and consider a range of conversion options. This baseline information will enable bioenergy to be taken seriously in energy investment decisions.