Application of Geographic Information System in Assessing Rooftop Photovoltaic Potential

Abstract

Achieving net-zero carbon emissions is a fundamental way to slow global warming, and dealing with massive carbon emissions from the construction industry is a priority. These days, with the growth of the clean energy industry, the market for photovoltaic (PV) power generation using solar energy is booming. In order to estimate PV power potential on a large scale, geographic information systems (GIS) have been applied in case studies in selected areas; however, there is a lack of overview of the comprehensive application of GIS technology in this subject. In this paper, the application of GIS in estimating PV potential is thoroughly analyzed from three perspectives: data source, application, and limitation. In terms of data source, this paper classifies the data into low, medium, and high precision, and the merits and demerits of each class are analyzed. The paper divides the application into two parts: calculating the received solar energy and the available roof area. The former analyses two available plug-ins in GIS software and a calculation formula that combines with GIS. The latter includes a variety of methods for calculating the total roof area, shading effects, vegetation coverage, and tilt & Azimuth. Although using GIS to estimate PV potential is well-developed, there are still limitations regarding accuracy, speed, and data accessibility. This paper hopes to contribute to the estimation of PV power potential to reach a higher level of accuracy and maturity in order to promote more projects and constructions with large-scale PV power generation systems. Indeed, the future of PV power generation is promising and will be a significant step towards net-zero carbon dioxide emissions for all humankind.