Carbon mitigation potential afforded by rooftop photovoltaic in China

Abstract

Rooftop photovoltaics (RPVs) are crucial in achieving energy transition and climate goals, especially in cities with high building density and substantial energy consumption. Estimating RPV carbon mitigation potential at the city level of an entire large country is challenging given difficulties in assessing rooftop area. Here, using multi-source heterogeneous geospatial data and machine learning regression, we identify a total of 65,962 km2 rooftop area in 2020 for 354 Chinese cities, which represents 4 billion tons of carbon mitigation under ideal assumptions. Considering urban land expansion and power mix transformation, the potential remains at 3-4 billion tons in 2030, when China plans to reach its carbon peak. However, most cities have exploited less than 1% of their potential. We provide analysis of geographical endowment to better support future practice. Our study provides critical insights for targeted RPV development in China and can serve as a foundation for similar work in other countries.

Promoting Sustainable Development Goals by Optimizing City-Level Solar Photovoltaic Deployment in China

“…Third, the indirect impacts of solar PV expansion can be tracked to obtain a more integrated understanding of solar PV development whenever reliable data are available. 59 Fourth, to enhance the reliability of the modeling results, the electricity optimization model can be improved by introducing additional constraints, such as the technical constraints of the thermal units. Additionally, climate change may affect both renewable power supply and demand through weather variability and extreme conditions 93,94 related to air temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, wind speed, 93 water availability, and temperature.…”

“…Second, it is essential to investigate the interactions of PVs with other power technologies and their impacts on additional SDGs, such as biodiversity, provided that the necessary data are available. Third, the indirect impacts of solar PV expansion can be tracked to obtain a more integrated understanding of solar PV development whenever reliable data are available . Fourth, to enhance the reliability of the modeling results, the electricity optimization model can be improved by introducing additional constraints, such as the technical constraints of the thermal units.…”

“…We designed four scenarios, namely, a carbon reduction-oriented scenario, an air quality-oriented scenario, a water conservation-oriented scenario, and an employment creation-oriented scenario. The four selected SDGs are closely and directly related to solar PV development, align with national policy priorities and are quantifiable with currently available data. − In each scenario, a separate goal is set as the priority. Accordingly, the parameters, carbon dioxide emissions, annual concentration of PM 2.5 , water scarcity index (WSI), and disposable income per capita of each city are chosen to reflect the city’s challenge in promoting SDG progress under each scenario.…”

Achieving Carbon Mitigation with Economic Benefits through High-Resolution Analysis of Renewable Resource Integration in Global Coastal Cities

“…For instance, in Hemberg, Switzerland, sustainable development via building renovation and utilizing wind and solar energy was explored, which played a crucial role in achieving future energy transition objectives. 16 In China, the RTPV was proven to have significant potential to contribute to the national carbon mitigation commitments, potentially reducing emissions by 3 to 4 billion tonnes of CO 2 e. 17 Similarly, solar, wind, and road heat energy harvested in The Netherlands covered up to 100% of electricity and 55% of heat demand. 18 However, these studies have largely overlooked seawater as a renewable resource for energy and carbon benefits.…”

Mapping Photovoltaic Panels in Coastal China Using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 Images and Google Earth Engine

“…As of 2021, the global photovoltaic installed capacity exceeded 175 gigawatts (GW), and the cumulative photovoltaic installed capacity surpassed 942 GW, which substantially contributes to energy decarbonization. Despite being the world's largest developing country, and having the highest carbon emissions [9], China has implemented various policies and measures to address this issue. In September 2020, China set the ambitious target to achieve carbon peak by 2030, by promoting energy conservation, emission reduction, economic transformation, and energy structure adjustments [10,11].…”