Using Numerical Maps to Select Solar Panel Installation Sites no Expressway Slopes

Abstract

: Solar energy is a viable source to replace fossil fuels. However, challenges associated with site selection for solar panel installation inhibit the uptake of solar energy systems. Expressway slopes offer a potentially attractive alternative for solar panel installation for the following reasons: expressway slopes are vacant public sites, they are abundant (about 4,193km in South Korea), and they are linear in nature. Traditionally when selecting sites for solar systems conventional surveying methods are employed. Unfortunately, these methods can be dangerous, time consuming, and labor intensive. To overcome these limitations of conventional site selection methodologies, we propose an automated approach using numerical maps. First, contour and expressway polylines are extracted separately from numeric maps. The extracted contour lines are then converted into a digital terrain model; this is used to calculate aspect and slope information. Next, the extracted expressway lines are projected onto a binary image and refined to recover the disconnections, and then applied to create a buffer zone to narrow the search space. Finally, all data sets are overlaid to identify candidate sites for solar panel systems and are visually verified through comparisons with aerial photos.