On the Impact of Rooftop Solar PV on Local Temperatures in Urban Areas

Abstract

Globally, the building sector accounts for around 36% of the final energy consumption and it produces 40% of CO2 emissions[1]. Similarly in Morocco, this sector is the largest energy consumer reaching a threshold of 33%, 26% for residential buildings and 7% for services (hotels, office buildings, schools, universities and hospitals). Thus, building consumption exceeds the industry sector (21%) and agriculture (8%) [2]. Such patterns are expected to increase quickly in the coming years. Integrating solar Photovoltaic (PV) panels in urban environments is an efficient solution to reduce electricity bills and CO2 emissions of buildings. This paper proposes a methodology to investigate the impact of large-scale deployment of solar PV on the urban micro-climate. This methodology consists of using the building footprints, building materials and meteorological conditions to calculate the urban surface temperatures before and after the integration of PV panels with the aim to assess any PV related Heat Islands (PVHI).