GIS-Based Assessment of Roof-Mounted Solar Energy Potential in Jiangsu, China

Due to high risk of unstable supply from fossil energy and growing concern with the preservation of the environment, well-developed Jiangsu province in China is hungering for alternative energy resources to catalyze stupendous economic growth. Assessing the technically available potential of solar energy spatially and temporally over the whole province might be able to improve the unfavorable situation. This paper presented a GIS based scenario model for assessing available roof-mounted solar energy resource. Its implementation in Jiangsu gave an estimation that annual electrical production capacity could meet about 40% of the local demand. Further results analysis shows that, although there are two disadvantages of wide use of roof-mounted PV system: High cost and great variations, the huge potential might make this system an essential component of the energy supplies in view of a continuous drop in the PV cost with advances in technology. Popularizing this building-integrated PV system might be a strategic option for overcoming the predicament of energy shortage and reducing carbon dioxide emissions, thus contributing to the sustainable development.