Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/109821
Rapid Hydropower Assessment The ability to identify renewable electricity-generation resources is of principal importance in reducing fossilfuel dependency and addressing climate change, so a large number of the locations identified in ROMAP were derived by KWL���s Rapid Hydro Assessment Model (RHAM). RHAM uses GIS technology to identify hydroelectric power opportunities. Nearly all aspects of a hydroelectric project can be spatially referenced to a geographic location, and the attributes of that project or location can be described using a database. RHAM can link data to a geographic location and help engineers develop computational models that significantly increase the speed at which large volumes of data are processed into useful information. Using a digital elevation model and regional hydrologic data, RHAM can calculate the amount of hydroelectric power available in all the streams in a given area, screen out sites within parks and environmentally sensitive areas, and estimate project costs. RHAM also can assess the suitability of hydroelectric development in a given area, taking into account economic, environmental and social factors, and it can assess storage-hydro and clustered developments. Through RHAM, KWL analyzed every stream in British Columbia in 100-meter sections, identifying potentially good locations for hydroelectric projects. This information was used to estimate probable size and cost, which then was quickly compared with ecological mapping and land-use information to determine site suitability. In addition to finding and analyzing locations for hydroelectric projects, RHAM can locate optimal alignments and estimate costs for linear infrastructure��� such as roads, penstocks and powerlines���by analyzing slope, geology and land-cover datasets. KWL completed the run-of-river hydroelectric-potential assessment in four months using RHAM���without it, the assessment would have taken longer than a year. More than 8,000 potential run-of-river hydroelectric sites were identified, with a total potential installed capacity of more than 12,000 megawatts and an annual energy of nearly 50,000 gigawatt hours per year. KWL also estimated the cost for each project, including access roads and power lines to connect to the existing power system. Reducing Fossil-Fuel Reliance In a time where finding clean, renewable electricity generation is becoming of utmost importance, BC Hydro used GIS software to identify resource potentials, analyze suitability and find thousands of possible hydroelectric sites. By increasing the spatial awareness of these possible resources, costs could be better estimated, and cluster analysis was made ���Results of KWL���s Rapid Hydro Assessment Model show potential run-of-river hydroelectric projects within British Columbia at different scales. The model uses a GIS-based analysis to locate sites quickly and automatically. possible, so BC Hydro could more easily assess whether there was benefit for sharing transmission and road infrastructures. Without GIS, the whole process of inventorying British Columbia���s electricity-resource options would���ve been next to impossible. The data that have been collected using these technologies will help for years to come by providing plentiful sites for infrastructure development and reducing British Columbia���s reliance on fossil-fuel energies. Ryan Taylor is GIS administrator, Kerr Wood Leidal Associates Ltd.; e-mail: RTaylor@kwl.ca. Nan Dai is senior resource planning engineer, BC Hydro; e-mail: nan.dai@bchydro.com. F E B R U A R Y 2 O 1 3 / W W W . G E O P L A C E . C O M 21