GIS-Based Method to Evaluate the Photovoltaic Potential in the Urban Environments: The Particular Case of Miraflores de la Sierra

Abstract

The objective of this work is to develop a model based on geographic information system (GIS), Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) and hourly horizontal radiation data to explore the possibility to install Photovoltaic (PV) systems in urban environments and to evaluate the annual production of electricity. The new model is tested on a small area of the municipality of Miraflores de la Sierra. The LIDAR data allow an accurate description of the urban environments trough the creation of a digital surface model. This is used to calculated the shadow of the different elements and to calculate the local inclination and orientation of the roofs. Two typologies of roofs are differentiated. The first one where the PV panels are placed parallel to the roof and the second one where the panels are disposed at the optimum using structures. The radiation incident on the panels is calculated with a geometric method starting from the hourly horizontal radiation decomposed in his diffuse and direct components. Finally, the effective production is evaluated taking into account the efficiency of the panels and different losses especially the ones due to temperature. The five most common panel's technologies are considered.