Map layer: Energy
The Energy category shows the power grid, licensed energy production and building prohibition zones along power lines in Norway. The layers are useful in planning assessments where existing infrastructure can affect site utilisation or act as a building limit, and for mapping grid capacity in a development area. The sources are NVE and Netbas (the power grid register).
Layers in this category (10)
Building prohibition zones – power lines
Safety zones along high-voltage lines where building is restricted or prohibited. The zones are set by Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE) and vary with voltage level (typically 17 m for 132 kV, 20 m for 300 kV, 25 m for 420 kV). Use the layer early in a planning assessment to see whether a site has buildable area within restricted corridors.
About the map layer
Statnett's buffer zones around high-voltage lines with restrictions on new buildings and construction work. A separate duty to notify applies to work within 30 m of the outermost live conductor.
Update frequency: Weekly.
Grid installations
Shows all lines, cables and substations registered in Netbas (Volue), the national power grid register. Useful for mapping whether a site lies close to high-voltage lines (which typically brings building distance requirements) or for assessing grid connection for larger development projects. Power lines above 132 kV normally have a safety distance that limits buildability. Datasets: Grid installations.
About the map layer
Digitised lines, cables and substations in Netbas (publicly available data only). Updated continuously by NVE.
Update frequency: Real time.
Planned Electrical Installations in the Power System
Planned electrical installations and power lines that have not yet been built. Relevant for future land use planning and for seeing whether licences have been granted for routes near a property. Data from Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE).
About the map layer
Planned electrical installations in the power system
The map layer shows electrical installations and power lines that have been granted a licence or are at various stages of licence processing, but that have not yet been built. Each object is assigned one of the following statuses:
- Notification
- Application
- Consultation
- Licence granted / Recommendation to the ministry
- Appealed
- Licence refused
- Licence withdrawn
- Other decision
For each installation, details such as type, voltage level, name, developer, licence status and date are shown, along with additional technical information. Common types are overhead lines and substations. The data comes from Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE), including case number and geographic reference.
Update frequency: When the source changes.
Wind power
Licensable wind power plants fully processed or under processing by Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE). Shows the location and status of wind farms. Useful for assessing proximity to wind power installations when buying property in coastal areas and in the mountains. Datasets: Wind power.
About the map layer
Licensable wind power plants that NVE has fully processed, including installations under construction and in operation. Weekly updates when owners update.
Update frequency: Weekly.
Hydropower
Developed and planned hydropower, including reservoirs and power stations, managed by Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE). Useful for seeing whether a nearby watercourse is regulated or protected. Datasets: Hydropower.
About the map layer
Developed and undeveloped hydropower installations, dams and regulated lakes as managed by NVE, including licence processes and remaining potential.
Update frequency: Weekly.
Substations, towers, poles & licences
Detailed view of substations, towers, poles and associated licences from Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE). A supplement to the Grid installations layer for a more granular view of individual components in the infrastructure.
About the map layer
The location of substations, towers/poles and associated licences from NVE's grid installation dataset (public subset). Weekly updates when the owner updates.
Update frequency: Weekly.
Grid connection queue
Grid capacity that is reserved or queued with Statnett, aggregated per substation. The circle shows how much capacity is tied up at the point, how many cases are competing for the same station, the largest single case and the next planned connection. Use the layer early for power-intensive projects: a site can be zoned and available, but unsuitable because the capacity at the nearest station is already taken.
The point is the substation, not the project site.
About the map layer
Capacity in the power grid that is tied up in Statnett's connection cases, aggregated per substation. Each circle shows how much capacity is reserved or queued at the point, how many cases are competing for the same station, the largest single case and the next planned connection. Statnett distinguishes between cases that are requested, reserved, placed in the capacity queue and connected. The queue contains only customers that are mature enough to get a place, and a project that has been granted capacity on special terms is also in the ordinary queue. The map layer covers 133 stations and 35,244 MW that is reserved or queued. The point is the substation, not the project site. Statnett has registered the cases manually from 2018 onwards, so gaps can occur.
Update frequency: Daily.
Small hydropower potential
Mapped potential for small hydropower plants, with an intake point and waterway for each project and an estimated development cost. The layer shows where hydropower can be developed, not what has been built, so read it as an opportunity analysis and not as a register of installations. Source: Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE).
About the map layer
Mapped potential for small hydropower plants, with an intake point and waterway for each project and an estimated development cost. Shows where hydropower can be developed, not what has been built. Source: NVE.
Update frequency: When the source changes.
District heating
Areas with a licence or licence application for district heating from Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE). The colour of the area shows the status of the licence, and clicking gives you the company, the installation, the municipality and links to the licence map. Three sublayers show industry, data centres and waste incineration that can supply surplus heat to a district heating network. Use the layer when you assess the energy solution for a new building: if the site lies in a licence area, the developer normally has a duty to connect under the plan- og bygningsloven, and proximity to a heat source tells you something about where the network can grow.
About the map layer
Areas with a licence or licence application for district heating. The colour shows the status of the licence. Also shows industry, data centres and waste incineration that can supply surplus heat. Source: NVE.
| Sublayers | Description |
|---|---|
| Licence status | The licence areas, coloured by whether the licence is granted, under processing or refused. |
| Industrial activity | Industry that can supply surplus heat. |
| Data centre | Data centres that can supply surplus heat. |
| Waste incineration | Incineration plants that can supply surplus heat. |
Solar resources
Average annual solar irradiation in kWh/m² for the period 1991 to 2020, from Norges vassdrags- og energidirektorat (NVE). The grid is 3 × 3 km, so the layer shows differences between regions and parts of the country, not between individual buildings. Click a cell to read the value. Use it as a first check of the solar power potential for a portfolio spread across the country; for a single building, the roof surface, orientation and shadow from neighbouring buildings tell you more, see solstudie and the Daylight and Shadow tools.
About the map layer
Average annual solar irradiation in kWh/m², for the period 1991-2020. The grid is 3 × 3 km and shows differences between regions, not between individual buildings. Source: NVE.
Tips
- The same layers for grid installations, wind power and hydropower are available under Infrastructure, where they are grouped with the other technical infrastructure. Petroleumsinfrastruktur has been moved out of Energy, see Geology or Infrastructure.
- High-voltage lines and power lines can bring building limits. Contact the grid company for precise distance requirements on a specific route.