Image: Nature
Ever wonder how much energy rooftop solar could produce if we accessed it’s full potential?
Well, a group of researchers at Ireland’s University of Cork leveraged big data, machine learning, and geospatial analysis to reach their findings, which were published in Nature Communications. (High resolution global spatiotemporal assessment of rooftop solar photovoltaics potential for renewable electricity generation.)
The satellite imagery focused on finding roof space appropriate for solar across the planet, no small task!
Turns out the US could meet all of it’s annual 4 petawatt hours (PWh) energy needs via rooftop solar by producing 4.2 PWh per year. Not only that, but by scaling up the efforts at deploying solar+storage, ratepayers could save $109 billion by 2030!
The researchers looked at the entire planet and broke down each countries solar energy potential. Some limitations with the study include transmission issues and the intermittent nature of solar. Energy storage will help mitigate these issues in real life.
When you’re ready to find out if your roof is capable of addressing your energy needs, give us a call at 206-706-1931 or fill out our contact form below and tell us a little about your project.
