Locating suitable roofs for utilization of solar energy in downtown area using airborne LiDAR data and object-based method: A case study of the Lujiazui region, Shanghai

As a type of renewable and clean energy, solar energy is highly emphasized for its advantages in avoiding environmental pollution and realizing the sustainable development of natural resources. Rooftops of buildings are feasible options to utilize solar energy in urban area. This paper presents an object-based method to locate the appropriate sites for setting solar panels using airborne LiDAR data in downtown area. The method consists of following five steps: (I) Analyzing the influence of urban three dimensional morphology on the variations of solar radiation. (II) Automated extraction of building footprints. (III) Segmentation of roof planes. (IV) Derivation attributes of each roof plane, such as roof plane area, average slope, average aspect, yearly average total solar radiation intensity. (V) Selection of suitable locations for solar panels with the comprehensive evaluation of area, slope, aspect and yearly average solar radiation intensity. The method of locating suitable sites of solar panels has been implemented as an ArcGIS extension module, and has been applied for the suitable location decision of solar panels over the Lujiazui region located in downtown Shanghai, P. R. China. This research provides a useful tool for the solar utilization potential analysis and could draw the attention of the research community.