French Elevation Models

Coverage Map for French Elevation models in WindPRO - 75m model coverage with green color - other colors are higher resolution regional datasets. Black markes show turbine locations from WindPRO online databases (see here.)

Wind Farm at Issoire - showing 5m and 75m grids in inner and outer regions. Credits: Contains elevation data from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN) – 05/2019 - and elevation data from the Centre Régional Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG) – 05/2019.

French National Elevation Model - 75m grid. Image showing metropolitan France. Credits: Contains elevation data from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN) – 05/2019

French National Elevation Model - 75m grid. Image showing part of Bretagne. Credits: Contains elevation data from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN) – 05/2019

Introduction

A number of French digital terrain models DTM’s (MNT - Modèle Numérique de Terrain) are available with windPRO – one covering the whole of France in 75m grid resolution – and others from selected administrative regions in higher resolutions, typically 5m grid or 10m grid. The French DTM datasets are freely available for windPRO users with an active subscription. Currently, the following French elevation models are available:

1. National DTM/MNT Model – 75m:
This model is a medium scale (75m grid resolution) version of the national elevation model of France (BD Alti). The model is released from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN). It is based on digitization of maps and stereo-imagery with data from years 1987-2001. Higher resolution models can be purchased from the IGN. Read more on BD Alti in this pdf-document (in French).

2. Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes DTM/MNT Model – 5m:
Elevation from five departments are available: Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal, Loire, Haute-Loire and Allier. Grid resolution is 5m with data from 2016.

3. Bretagne DTM/MNT Model – 5m:
Elevation model in 5m resolution – with data obtained in the following years: Morbihan (2016), lle et Vilaine (2017), Côtes d'Armor (2015), Finistère (2015).

4. Nord-Pas de Calais DTM/MNT Model – 10m:
Model was derived from stereo-imagery during years 2012-2013.

Dataset Overview

• Spatial Coverage: France (75m) and 3 regions (5m and 10m)
• Resolution: Area-dependent: 5m, 10m, 75m
• Data-type: Digital Terrain Model (DTM)
• Coordinate system: Horizontal: RGF93 / Lambert-93 (EPSG:2154)
• Version: Data downloaded in spring 2019.
• Vertical Accuracy: N/A

Usage Notes

• Resolution: Please consider that the 5m or 10m grid data are at a quite high resolution - so processing and downloading large areas may be slow. We recommend that you use highest resolution data in a limited area around the site (say with a boundary of a few kilometers), then merge your elevation model with coarser resolution data. This is done very easily in the 'elevation grid object'.
• Version: Data in windPRO were accessed, downloaded and adapted for windPRO distribution during spring 2019.

Availability from within windPRO

The data are available directly from within windPRO and may be accessed from the online-services from the following objects:

• Line Object (with purpose to height contour lines)
• Elevation Grid Object

Please note that for the 5-meter grid data - the downloaded area is limited to 20 km x 20 km to keep the files at a usable size. The data within the elevation object may be extended with coarser data if a bigger area is needed.

Attributions

These products belong to the open data of France. Please use the following attributions when using one of the datasets:

• French National DTM/MNT Model – 75m: Contains elevation data from the Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN) – 05/2019. Distribution through EMD and windPRO.
• France - Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes DTM/MNT Model – 5m: Contains elevation data from the Centre Régional Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG) – 05/2019. Distribution through EMD and windPRO.
• France - Bretagne DTM/MNT Model – 5m: Contains elevation data from GéoBretagne – 05/2019. Distribution through EMD and windPRO.
• France – Nord-Pas de Calais – 10m: Contains elevation data from the Plateforme Publique de l'Information Géographique de la Région Nord - Pas de Calais (PPIGE) – 05/2019. Distribution through EMD and windPRO.

Acknowledgements

• The French public, state (with IGN as its representative) and regions of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bretagne and Nord-Pas de Calais are thanked for producing these digital elevation datasets and disseminating them with an open-data licence - and thus aiding the development of renewable energy – and wind energy in particular.
• Integration of this dataset into EMD services was co-supported through the InnoWind project (www.innowind.dk) which is co-funded by the Danish Innovation Fund

License

Unless otherwise stated, these data have been released under the French License Ouverte / Open License – a license used for open data from the State of France. The license is designed to be compatible to be compatible with Creative Commons Licenses, Open Government License (UK) and the Open Data Commons Attribution License read pdf here. It is required that the source of information is mentioned when using these data – see above.

External Links

• Institut National de l’Information Geographique et Forestiére (IGN): http://professionnels.ign.fr
• Centre Régional Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes de l'Information Géographique (CRAIG): https://www.craig.fr/
• Le partenariat GéoBretagne: https://cms.geobretagne.fr
• Equipe PPIGE Plateforme Publique de l'Information Géographique - Nord-Pas de Calais: https://www.ppige-npdc.fr/portail/geocatalogue