This dataset evaluates land parcel suitability for solar farms and large scale solar projects.
Energy & Utilities
Advanced Infrastructure Technology Ltd
Ground Mount PV potential data incorporates multiple input datasets including: Greenspaces, Flood Risk Zone, Terrain Slope, Solar Radiation, and many more. The dataset assigns a normalised suitability score to each land parcel, indicating the overall suitability of the land for hosting a solar farm. This higher value the greater the overall suitability for development.
Ground Mount PV Data is just one dataset in our GIS tool belt that can be combined with our cloud based net zero planning platform LAEP+ (Local Area Energy Planner Plus), or as a stand alone dataset available as an API or exportable file format.
When used in the LAEP+ platform, data can be visualised at UK and regional level to identify areas most suitable for the development of large scale solar projects. This can be combined with other datasets such as electricity lines and cables data to Identify suitable locations for renewable energy projects by understanding proximity to existing power lines.
Field | Description | Unit |
---|---|---|
Overall Suitability | Suitability score for each land parcel | True/ False |
Explore granular level data on the interactive map
Filter data to identify project suitable sites
Combine and overlay with other energy, transport, building stock, or heat datasets
Create custom reports and share with others
Available in GPKG, CSV & API. Other formats may be available on request
Choose from regional or full UK coverage
Land parcel granularity
Save time and costs by purchasing datasets directly through the G-Cloud 13 framework.
LAEP+ is a cloud based net zero planning tool developed to streamline Local Area Energy Planning and accelerate the deployment of low carbon technologies. LAEP+ uses digital twins to plan region-wide energy transitions by providing local authorities, DNOs, and consultants with granular heat, building, transport and energy data alongside net zero modelling tools to support informed decision making.
LAEP+ is currently being used by over 100 Local Authorities across the UK to manage Local Area Energy Plans, respond to grants, and identify and triage sites suitable for low carbon technologies such as heat pumps and electric vehicle charge points.
LAEP is an acronym for Local Area Energy Planning or a Local Area Energy Plan. LAEPs arestrategic plans to decarbonise the energy system and building stock in a local area over a given timeframe.
LAEP+ is a web-based software tool that allows local authorities, consultants and energy networks to create and assess decarbonisation plans from one off projects to full scale local area energy plans in one tool.
Advanced Infrastructure (AI) operates a dynamic nationwide building and energy network digital twin that provides the starting point for LAEP analysis. The digital twin uses multiple data providers to cross-validate and eliminate errors and uncertainties in building attributes such as age, energy performance, potential for retrofit technologies and envelope. Our data partners include HMLR, Ordnance Survey, Verisk Insurance, Open Street map, and inferred data from satellite imagery These are validated against surveyed data.
Data on energy demand and supply assets are sourced and cleaned from a wide variety of industry sources which are regularly updated. . Publicly available sources are supplemented with granular data from local stakeholders (such as local authorities, DNOs, large industry etc). These are validated against metered data at substation and LSOA level.
All datasets undergo a QA process before use in modelling to detect bias and errors. We comply with the Data Management Association UK (DAMA-UK) 6 dimension and where relevant the Quality Assurance Framework of the European Statistical System. Data sources are identified and validated to ensure they're trustworthy. During the ingestion phase, data is cleansed to remove inconsistencies, duplicates, and inaccuracies
Users can upload their own data up to a total of 3GB. Datasets can be ingested as a single file or bulk upload.geoJSON, GPKG, ESRI shape and CSV formats accepted. There are several open source, free-to-use tools available to help transform datasets into the required formats.
User uploaded datasets can be kept private to the uploader or shared with other users in your organisation.
LAEP+ and the supporting heat, energy, transport and building datasets are available UK wide
LAEP+ enables users without technical skills to build complex geospatial queries to identify properties and sites suitable for different interventions such as low-carbon technologies.
LAEP+ users have access to a comprehensive knowledge base including how-to videos and tutorials on Local Area Energy Plans and navigating the tool.
LAEP+ also features a live chat function to request support from the product team Monday-Friday. Depending on your package, users may also have access to regular training sessions.
Advanced Infrastructure is IS027001 and Cyber Essentials Plus certified. All data in LAEP+ is encrypted at rest and in transit.
Advanced Infrastructure use best-in-class security standards to ensure our user and client data is protected, including:
Multi-factor Authentication.Users require a six-digit code either via text message or Authenticator apps every time they log in. This means that even if a users' password is compromised, any attempts to log in would be unsuccessful without these codes.
User based permissions. Each user has set permissions, defined by the account administrator, enabling the relevant viewing or editor rights.
Encryption.Encryption at rest and in transit
Secure backups. Backups are taken regularly to ensure no user data is lost.
GDPR. GDPR compliance
Audit logs. An audit trail is maintained to track login, view and export history for all LAEP+ data
Ground Mount PV Potential data is calculated through a parcel-based land suitability analysis that integrates a range of datasets to evaluate the feasibility of large scale solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. The process begins by collecting geospatial data such as greenspaces, flood risk zones, terrain slope, solar radiation, and other factors that influence solar energy generation.
These datasets are spatially aligned and normalised to a common scale, with each factor weighted based on its importance to feasibility. A composite suitability score is then calculated for each land parcel by combining the weighted factors. Exclusion zones, such as protected areas or flood-prone regions, are removed from consideration. The resulting data assigns a normalised score to each parcel, with higher values indicating greater suitability for solar farm development. This information supports decision-makers in identifying optimal sites and planning sustainable energy projects.
Optimal Site Selection: Use the normalised suitability score to prioritize parcels with higher scores, saving time and effort on site visits and assessments.
Streamlined Assessments: Incorporate data into feasibility studies to evaluate technical and financial viability of potential sites before proceeding to detailed analysis.
Data-Driven Proposals: Present suitability scores and underlying parameters to stakeholders and investors as clear evidence of a site’s potential.
Portfolio Expansion: Developers can build a pipeline of projects by identifying multiple suitable parcels and phasing development strategically.
Identification of Suitable Solar Farm Sites: The parcel-based suitability scores allow local authorities to identify and prioritise the most appropriate locations for solar farm development, ensuring efficient land use and maximising renewable energy generation.
Streamlined Site Assessments: Reduces the need for extensive on-the-ground surveys by providing pre-assessed suitability data, saving resources and time.
Community and stakeholder engagement: The normalised suitability scores provide a clear and understandable metric for discussing site suitability with stakeholders, including local communities and developers.
Grant and funding applications: Local Authorities can use the dataset to strengthen applications for government grants, subsidies, or private funding by demonstrating feasibility and alignment with renewable energy policies.
According to the (ESC), Local Area Energy Planning (LAEP) is an evidence-based planning output which sets out the changerequired to transition an area’s energy system to net zero in a given timeframe. This is achieved by exploring potential pathways that consider a range of technologies and scenarios, and when combined with stakeholder engagement leads to the identification of the most cost-effective preferred pathway and sequenced plan of proposed actions to achieving an area’s net zero goal.
The Climate Change Committee highlights that national policy on its own will not be enough to deliver Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Local Authorities have a key role to play by influencing over 80% of the UK’s carbon emissions.
Local Authorities are now taking a place based approach towards achieving net zero through affordable, sustainable and accessible energy plans which seek to decarbonise and create resilient net-zero energy systems.
One of the primary advantages of Local Area Energy Plan (LAEP) is its ability to empower Local Authorities in proactively planning infrastructure investments. By engaging early with Distribution Network Providers (DNOs) to align with the Net Zero targets of an individual local authority, DNOs can assist in creation of comprehensive, long-term investment plans that extend well beyond immediate needs.
Local Area Energy Planning is a robust, evidence-based approach that explores various decarbonisation pathways and outlines actionable plans to achieve Net Zero within a local area. Led by Local Authorities, LAEPs have the power to bring together a diverse range of local stakeholders, including community energy groups, residents, and businesses, to harness local insights and propose viable decarbonisation strategies.
In collaboration with DNOs (and broader utilities such as Gas Distribution Networks), a LAEP has the ability to inform forecasts and subsequent network planning. This ensures that the right network capacity is available at the right time and at the lowest cost, serving as a continuous enabler of local Net Zero plans.
LAEP+ aligns with Energy Systems Catapult's 7-stage methodology for Local Area Energy Plans, facilitating the creation of best practice LAEPs and project pipelines.
Stage 1: Preparation
This includes determining the geographical area, assessing the policy drivers, identifying resources, appointing a lead organisation for mobilisation and establishing the scope of the LAEP.
Stage 2: Stakeholder engagement
The development of a LAEP involves a collaborative approach, engaging with external stakeholders to effectively integrate and reflect local perspectives within the plan.
Data Stories is a feature of LAEP+ which enables insights from data models to be communicated to stakeholders using online narratives and visualisations. It can be used to put data insights into context for stakeholders and capture valuable feedback. It can also be used to engage with harder-to-reach stakeholders across the local area. Additionally, LAEP+ includes a consultations feature which enables users to survey a wider group of stakeholders through an online poll.
Stage 3: Understanding the current local energy system
In order to successfully plan actions in a local area it is necessary to have a good understanding of the current system, its assets, infrastructure, ambitions, and currently committed plans for the future.
LAEP+ operates a dynamic nationwide building and energy network digital twin that provides the starting point for LAEP analysis. Users of LAEP+ can use the map feature to explore, filter and export hundreds of energy, transport, building datasets in order to understand the baseline of a given area.
Stage 4: Modelling Options for the future
By considering multiple scenarios, rather than a single scenario, options and choices for how to meet net zero can be considered. The purpose of this stage is to define for each scenario which combination of actions in a local area reaches the carbon target in the most effective way.
The LAEP+ Scenario Modeller feature enables users to create long-term scenarios, which automatically schedules the rollout of selected technologies based on local renewable potential and users’ own input parameters, such as net-zero targets, budget, and local priorities.
Stage 5: Scenario Refinement and Selection
Assess and understand the wider impacts of scenarios produced in Stage 4, specifically focusing on factors that are of interest to stakeholders (e.g., impact on fuel poverty).
Stage 6: Actions, Priorities and Decisions
Assess the pathway(s) chosen in Stage 5, and categorise their components based around how soon they can be delivered.
The LAEP+ Projects feature provides seamless feasibility assessments of building-level low-carbon deployments. Click and drop assets onto the map, and run an assessment to view carbon saving breakdowns and cost estimations.
Stage 7: Create the Local Area Energy Plan
The final stage brings all of the work carried out during the preceding stages into a single document that is the plan to be carried forward for the local area.
Many Local Authorities are already using LAEP+ to present data-backed evidence in attracting investment and supporting funding opportunities. With LAEP+, assumptions can be validated, and grant applications instantly bolstered with measurable impact assessments regarding carbon emission reductions, cost-effectiveness, and alleviation of fuel poverty.
There are various funding sources available to support the development and implementation of Local Area Energy Plans.
These funding opportunities can come from central government, non-profit organisations, private foundations, and other entities with an interest in promoting energy efficiency, sustainability, and decarbonisation at the local level. As of 2024 these include:
https://www.gsenetzerohub.org.uk/financing-local-net-zero/funding/
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