Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic Potential of Building Rooftops Based on Multicriteria Spatial Analysis

Abstract

This paper presents a methodology using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to assess the photovoltaic potential of building rooftops by applying available data in North Macedonia. Applied to a case study, the method encompasses a high-resolution 3D model from LiDAR data to accurately represent rooftop surfaces and terrain. The approach includes generating a Digital Surface Model (DSM), analysing rooftop slopes and aspects, calculating solar radiation, and identifying suitable rooftops. It was concluded that out of 628 buildings, an area of 73 544 m², about 62% of the total rooftop area, is suitable for photovoltaic system installation. The potential electricity production from each building varies from 4 MWh to 1000 MWh annually and can be estimated at a total of 11 329 MWh from all suitable rooftops within the study area. The proposed method enables a large-scale valuation of suitable roof surfaces for photovoltaic system installation.

Keywords

• building rooftops
• GIS
• LiDAR
• solar potential
• spatial models