Gis4pv

Abstract

Photovoltaic solar energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energy resources which is being adopted by households and large organizations alike. Encouraging citizens to switch to this renewable energy source requires an understanding of the factors that influence this phenomenon. Technology hereby plays an important role to comprehend the complex process and present it in a way that is straightforward for both policymakers and citizens to recognize and realize. Moreover, integration of this energy source into the existing power grid, implies the need for strategies aimed at identifying new routes that minimize visual and environmental impact, cost and social concerns related to new infrastructures. Addressing all these aspects requires an interdisciplinary approach. In this context, the impact of using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for evaluating the present status, solar potential, policy implications and future tools is investigated in this thesis.Chapter 2 presents a method to evaluate the present status of small and medium scale rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) installations in the Netherlands. Artificial Intelligence (AI) specifically, Deep Learning (DL) algorithms and geo-spatial techniques are applied on very high-resolution aerial imagery to detect PV installations. The information that is currently missing from the national PV register