Altener project increases accessibility to renewable energy databases
The final results are now available from a pan-European project to improve the availability, accessibility and sustainability of renewable energy databases and digital information services targeted at the renewable energy sector. The results are presented as a 'Practical guide for database producers' and the 'Global renewable energy survey results.' They include information on 104 renewable energy databases, information systems and other sources of information. The project was supported by the European Commission's ALTENER programme, WIP (Munich, Germany) and ETSU (Harwell, UK). Three specialised teams identified and discussed problems in the fields of data management, market aspects and funding issues, with the aim of finding possible solutions and ways to improve current knowledge. A second line of the project was a global renewable database survey that aimed to provide an overview of renewable energy databases that are currently available. 'This survey will support the users as well as the optimisation of the future product line of database producers,' say the research team. The results of the survey are divided into the following components: database listing; website listing; and statistics. In addition, the survey extends beyond the finalisation of the project. The project participants welcome any new information about additional renewable energy databases and information systems, which will be integrated into the survey results.