Evaluation of the Suitability of Geodetic Databases to Support the Process of Locating Renewable Energy Investments

Enhancing the production of energy from renewable energy sources (RES) has been a consistently important issue for many years, both in Poland and other countries around the world. Selecting sites for devices that convert renewable energy into electricity requires various spatial data, especially during the initial design stage when optimal investment locations are identified. The article presents a new method for assessing the usefulness of publicly accessible Polish geodetic databases—the Topographic Objects Database (Polish name: BDOT10k) and the Digital Elevation Model (DEM, Polish name: NMT)–in the process of renewable energy infrastructure siting. This study is the first to jointly assess these two databases from the user’s perspective rather than the creator’s or administrator’s viewpoint. User requirements for spatial data were defined through research factors identified in a literature review. The methodology developed includes checking the availability of Polish geodetic databases and evaluating the quality of spatial data. Analyses were performed in a GIS environment for eighteen research areas in Poland. A suitability coefficient was developed to determine the usefulness of the databases studied. The obtained value of the suitability coefficient in each area was above 50% of its maximum value, which was taken as a threshold value proving the suitability of the analyzed databases for the purpose specified in the study. The databases are fully useful for a group of province and poviat capital cities—there the suitability coefficient value exceeds 80% of its maximum value. The studies confirmed the validity of using publicly accessible BDOT10k and DEM geodetic databases in GIS analyses for the search for sites for solar, wind, and small hydroelectric power plants.