The Energieatlas Nordrhein-Westfalen (Energy Atlas of North Rhine-Westphalia) provides comprehensive information on renewable energy and energy transition in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The available data comprises thematic maps for topics such as solar energy, wind energy or heat demand and heat supply. This includes maps depicting the status quo as well as planning data. The application also offers tools for calculating the potential of solar plants and solar collectors or for planning new wind turbines. The Energieatlas Nordrhein-Westfalen and its content are provided by the LANUK (North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Nature, Environment and Climate).

52°North supports IT.NRW and con terra GmbH in the implementation of a new, redesigned version of the Energieatlas Nordrhein Westfalen. The project was commissioned by the LANUK, which is also responsible for defining the requirements. A key requirement is the use of open source technologies. The redesigned application therefore uses the open source Web GIS framework Open Pioneer Trails, which is maintained by con terra GmbH and 52°North, as its technical backbone.

The open source concept of Open Pioneer Trails is actively supported during the development of the Energieatlas Nordrhein-Westfalen. Extensions to the framework’s API or reusable components implemented as part of the application are contributed to the Open Pioneer Trails project as often as possible. 52°North was able to contribute a great deal of expertise to the development of the new application due to its involvement in the the Open Pioneer Trails framework. This expertise was also shared with the project partners. In addition, 52°North acted as a link between the people involved in the development work and the core team behind Open Pioneer Trails.