Homeowners, businesses and government planners in Antigua and Barbuda can assess the solar-energy potential of individual rooftops using a detailed mapping and financial-analysis tool developed by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
The SolarCity Simulator uses high-resolution building information and solar irradiation data to estimate how much electricity could potentially be generated from rooftop photovoltaic systems.
The Antigua and Barbuda guidelines show three levels of assessment — individual buildings, several buildings and large areas.
At the individual-building level, users can zoom in and select a property before the simulator maps the roof’s solar PV potential at a resolution of one square metre.
The system then provides information including the amount of rooftop space that could be used for solar panels, estimated annual electricity production and a typical generation profile.
The simulator also attempts to answer one of the biggest questions facing people considering solar installations — whether the investment makes financial sense.
Users can view estimated upfront investment costs, the projected payback period and cash-flow information. They can also adjust assumptions including PV capacity, panel efficiency and other financial and technical parameters to examine different scenarios.
IRENA says the wider SolarCity platform is intended to help households and businesses calculate potential savings from rooftop solar while allowing authorities to assess the impact of policy incentives such as generation and capital subsidies.
The Antigua and Barbuda version also provides a broader planning tool capable of assessing multiple properties or large areas.
At the large-area level, the system can identify sections with high rooftop solar potential, assist with developing targeted projects and setting renewable-energy goals. Different system capacities, fiscal measures and subsidies can also be modelled.
Environmental benefits are included in the calculations, with the simulator estimating avoided greenhouse-gas emissions and air pollution and expressing some of the benefits in equivalents such as cars removed from the road and trees planted.
IRENA says SolarCity combines three-dimensional building footprints with solar irradiation information calculated at one-metre grid cells, allowing governments, investors and property owners to examine the potential for rooftop solar development.
The guidelines do not specify when the Antigua and Barbuda version became operational, so they do not establish that the platform has just been launched.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda Rooftops Mapped for Solar Energy Potential Under IRENA Simulator.