OSM Infrastructure Layers¶
The map can display real power infrastructure data from OpenStreetMap — substations, power plants, and high-voltage transmission lines — to help you ground your model in physical reality.
How the data is loaded¶
Infrastructure features are fetched in two ways depending on your setup:
-
Live via Overpass API (default, no setup needed): the Go backend queries the public Overpass API on demand when you navigate to a region. Data reflects the current state of OpenStreetMap.
-
From a local GeoServer instance (recommended): pre-processed vector tile layers served from PostGIS. Faster, works offline, and scales to country-level or larger areas. See GeoServer Setup.
The OSM Infrastructure Panel¶
All OSM-related controls live in the right sidebar of the Creation view. The panel has three sections:
1. Select Region (stepper)¶
A cascading stepper that narrows the geographic focus:
- Step 1 — Continent — e.g. Europe
- Step 2 — Country — e.g. Spain
- Step 3 — Region — e.g. Asturias (if available in your loaded data)
- Step 4 — Sub-region — e.g. Oviedo (if available)
Selecting each level zooms the map and loads the corresponding infrastructure layers from GeoServer or Overpass. Use Clear All to reset the selection.
2. Download GIS Data¶
A collapsible section for downloading new regions directly from within the app. Click the header to expand it.
- Select Continent → Country → Region (region is optional — leave blank for whole country).
- Click Download & Import.
- The log terminal streams pipeline output. When it finishes, the new region is immediately available in the stepper above.
See Downloading GIS Data for prerequisites and advanced options.
3. Infrastructure Layers¶
Toggle and filter the layers shown on the map:
- Power Lines — filter by voltage range (kV).
- Power Plants — filter by energy source (solar, wind, hydro…) and minimum capacity (MW).
- Substations — filter by substation type and voltage range.
- Region Boundaries — administrative boundary polygons for the selected region.
4. Power Mesh Generator¶
Generates a simplified network graph from the loaded power line layer. Use Generate Mesh Network to create nodes at line junctions and endpoints. The mesh can be:
- Imported as model Locations & Links with one click.
- Exported as JSON.
- Toggled on/off or cleared.
Available layers¶
Substations¶
Power substations from OSM power=substation. Colour-coded by voltage:
| Colour | Voltage |
|---|---|
| Red | ≥ 220 kV |
| Orange | 110–219 kV |
| Yellow | < 110 kV |
Power plants¶
Markers with type-encoded icons. From OSM power=plant.
Power lines¶
High-voltage transmission lines from OSM power=line. Colour-coded by voltage class.
Administrative boundaries¶
Country, state, and district boundaries as polygon overlays.
Using infrastructure data to place model nodes¶
The infrastructure overlay is a reference layer — it does not automatically create model locations. Use it to:
- Find where major substations or power plants are located and place your model nodes there.
- Verify that transmission links in your model match real lines.
- Estimate available land area for renewables.
Use the Power Mesh Generator to automatically extract a network topology from the power line layer and import it as model locations and links.