Online map of local renewables & energy efficiency installations

We're planning to build an online map of local renewables and energy efficiency installations.

Some reasons why we think a map would be a good idea:

1. people to see where renewable power is already being produced and to get a sense that progress is being made
2. people to contribute local info and thus start to feel involved in PP and that they can help us by doing stuff
3. people to contribute even if all they can say "yes I'm interested" - we really need to be far more active in building a sense of a movement that is going somewhere with people's (low effort)involvement.

The aim is to help local residents to get a sense that progress is being made.

We're planning to use Open Street Map (a free, openly editable map) to store the locations.  On the Peckham Power website, at the very least, we'll embed the relevant Open Street Map.  We will also explore ways to enter data onto the Open Street Map from the Peckham Power website because the OSM interface can be a little tricky to get your head around.

We considered building our own map but using OSM makes a lot of sense for several reasons:

• There are existing "green mapping" initiatives on OSM.  It makes sense to collaborate with them rather than reinvent the wheel
• Southwark Council are interested in using OSM for their own mapping (see Tom Chance's blog entry)
• It's generally a good idea to have mapping information stored in one place rather than scattered all over the web in different formats

Some relevant links to examples (hat tip: Tom Chance!)

• CloudMade Maps - a tool for reformatting OSM maps
• A guide to inputting data for power generation into OSM
• Wind turbines showing up on the map
• A project to put environmental info into OSM (early stages)
• Sutton Green Map - a really interesting green map based on OSM

A draft list of possibly relevant categories:

• solar thermal
• photovoltaics (PV)
• wind turbine
• CHP plant
• wood-burning stove
• grey water system
• solid wall insulation (internal)
• solid wall insulation (external)
• cavity wall insulation
• insulated floor
• well insulated loft
• triple glazing
• roof orientation (I'm not sure we should list the roof orientation or the map could quickly become very cluttered, surely?  Potentially every house could have a roof orientation attribute - Jack)
• • ventilation system with heat recovery  (whole house or single room) (-Lucasz)
  • super airtight building envelope (best done for test  proved but could be for design estimated airtightness) (-Lucasz)
  • house certified/design to passive house principles (-Lucasz)
• aspiring to have solar thermal
• aspiring to have photovoltaics (PV)
• aspiring to have wind turbine
• aspiring to have CHP
• aspiring to have wood-burning stove
• aspiring to have grey water system
• aspiring to have solid wall insulation (internal)
• aspiring to have solid wall insulation (external)
• aspiring to have cavity wall insulation
• aspiring to have insulated floor
• aspiring to have well insulated loft
• aspiring to have triple glazing

Do let us know if you have any comments or if you'd like to get involved!