A methodology to estimate the photovoltaic potential on parking spaces and water deposits. The case of the Canary Islands

Abstract

In regions where the land available is scarce it is of special interest to deploy solar photovoltaic energy without occupying additional land. Besides solar roofs, which have already been extensively studied, there are other type of constructions that could be used for the deployment of solar photovoltaic such as car parking spaces and big water deposits. No much attention has been given so far to these type of elements that could potentially been used to deploy solar photovoltaic energy. So the aim of this research is to establish how relevant can these type of surfaces be in terms of solar energy production. For this purpose a methodology has been developed to identify the surfaces corresponding to uncovered parking spaces and water deposit at regional level using cartographic information, first, and, secondly, to estimate how much of these areas could be used to deploy solar photovoltaic energy. This methodology has been applied to one insular region, the Canary Islands, and the results are surprising in terms of the potentiality of these type of elements for the deployment of solar photovoltaic energy which could cover around 9% of the whole regional electricity demand.