ETHOS.GeoKit: A Python toolkit for analyzing and altering geospatial data for energy systems modeling and beyond

This article introduces ETHOS.GeoKit (hereafter GeoKit), a Python-based toolkit for analyzing and modifying geospatial data across various fields. GeoKit’s primary strength is its ability to combine vector and raster data sources within a unified interface with low boilerplate code – a frequently recurring task, especially in global renewable energy potential analysis. Originally developed to facilitate land eligibility analysis for determining potential locations for renewable energy plants, GeoKit can be applied to any kind of georeferenced data. It provides functions for loading, analyzing and modifying both vector and raster datasets, as well as for converting between the two data types. Building upon the Geospatial Data Abstraction Library (GDAL), GeoKit offers a simpler, high-level interface that makes geospatial data processing more accessible.