The government of the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia is currently in the process of amending its Climate Protection Act. It sets the ambitious goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 55% below the level of 1990 by 2030 and reaching a CO₂ neutral economy by 2050. To increase the share of renewable energy, the North Rhine-Westphalian Office of Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV NRW) created the Energy Atlas.

The Energy Atlas is a state-wide platform that provides extensive information and tools on the inventory, expansion options and potential of renewable energy in the region. It also gives information on current energy infrastructure and the stock of conventional power plants regarding electricity and heat supply. The heat map allows combining information on local heat demand, existing district heating systems and alternative heat sources such as industrial surplus heat for planning purposes.

As part of the website, a solar cadastre was launched in 2018. This powerful tool enables any homeowner in the state to find out with a simple click whether and to what extent their roof surface is suitable for solar energy. An integrated solar calculator calculates the economic efficiency of a potential solar system based on factors such as roof shape, inclination, and individual settings (consumption levels, storage system, etc.). A new feature also allows calculating photovoltaic plants on open sites. The website includes a detailed instruction manual to help first-time users navigate the interactive platform.

Energy Atlas: https://www.energieatlas.nrw.de/site/

Solar cadastre: https://www.energieatlas.nrw.de/site/karte_solarkataster