Estimating Rooftops’ Suitability for PVs Using Pleiades-1B Satellite Image for Charging Electric Vehicles
Abstract
Studying the potential of solar energy PVs rooftops requires assessing solar energy and rooftop areas. First, solar radiation data on a horizontal surface were obtained from a weather station located in the city. Second, the Hay & Device, Klucher, and Reindl (HDKR) model was used to calculate the available solar radiation on tilted surfaces. Finally, rooftops were identified and extracted from a very high-resolution satellite image using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Sciences techniques. The overall accuracy of the horizontal rooftops extraction ranged between 74.6% and 96.875%. The area required for generating enough energy for one Electric Vehicle (EV) was estimated for both summer and winter. To avoid shades from parapet walls and to follow the country’s building codes, the water tanks, and rooms located on rooftops were considered for PVs installation. The results showed that PVs rooftops can provide electricity for charging EVs in neighborhoods with different urban designs. The variables affecting the solar energy potential for EV charging are rooftop suitable area and available solar radiation.