Photovoltaic potential assessment and ranking of rooftops segments based on LiDAR data

Abstract

This paper deals with a method for determining the rating of roofs' segments in urban areas regarding their suitability for the installation of different photovoltaic (PV) systems. In order to determine the received irradiance of individual roofs, their geometry is described based on LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) data, in order to estimate accurately the effect of shadowing and topography. The input irradiance is based on a Typical Meteorological Year (TMY), which is established over long-term irradiance measurements. The PV potential is then estimated by integrating estimated per-surface direct and anisotropic diffuse irradiances filtered with nonlinear efficiency characteristics of a given PV system. Afterwards, the roofs' segments are rated based on the estimated PV potential from low to high suitability. The proposed method was applied over a large urban area scanned by airborne LiDAR, and validated with local power plant, where 96.49% agreement was reached.