Assessing the Potential of Rooftop Photovoltaics by Processing High-Resolution Irradiation Data, as Applied to Giessen, Germany

Abstract

In recent years, prices for photovoltaics have fallen steadily and the demand for sustainable energy has increased. Consequentially, the assessment of roof surfaces in terms of their suitability for PV (Photovoltaic) installations has continuously gained in importance. Several types of assessment approaches have been established, ranging from sampling to complete census or aerial image analysis methodologies. Assessments of rooftop photovoltaic potential are multi-stage processes. The sub-task of examining the photovoltaic potential of individual rooftops is crucial for exact case study results. However, this step is often time-consuming and requires lots of computational effort especially when some form of intelligent classification algorithm needs to be trained. This often leads to the use of sampled rooftop utilization factors when investigating large-scale areas of interest, as data-driven approaches usually are not well-scalable. In this paper, a novel neighbourhood-based filtering approach is introduced that can analyse large amounts of irradiation data in a vectorised manner. It is tested in an application to the city of Giessen, Germany, and its surrounding area. The results show that it outperforms state-of-the-art image filtering techniques. The algorithm is able to process high-resolution data covering 1 km2 within roughly 2.5 s. It successfully classifies rooftop segments which are feasible for PV installations while omitting small, obstructed or insufficiently exposed segments. Apart from minor shortcomings, the approach presented in this work is capable of generating per-rooftop PV potential assessments at low computational cost and is well scalable to large scale areas.