Renewable energy is not a new concept; it’s actually our oldest energy source. However, the rising concerns of global climate change and booming populations are heightening the need for cleaner alternatives to fossil fuels and a sustainable energy supply.

The recent Climate Change Summit at The Hague and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol have put renewable energy firmly on the political agenda. Driving forward with some urgency the reincarnation of renewable energy sources. They are becoming economically viable due to the expansion in research, and the huge developments in specialist technologies.

Wind power has become one of these essential energy sources, although their implementation is by no means simple. For success, it is vital to choose the site for a wind farm with utmost care and it is here that precision 3-D models of the terrain are being used with sophisticated mathematical techniques to model the wind flow and visual appearance of the wind farms.

Geo Strategies, specialists in the production of digital terrain models for over 60 countries were delighted to be the suppliers of such models to Renewable Energy Systems (RES) who are located in the United Kingdom. RES are involved in the development and construction of wind farms all around the world including the United States of America, the United Kingdom, France, Portugal, and China.

RES are also using detailed demographic maps to ensure that these impressive installations do not a cause a negative environmental impact. Knowledge of microwave links is also required to ensure that the wind turbines don’t interfere with critical communications systems.

This is just another example of how maps from Geo Strategies are used for strategic decision making around the world.