BRUSSELS, Belgium, April 11, 2007.
A solar system in Malta or southern Spain will generate twice as much electricity as Scotland or northern Scandinavia.
The European Commission has published a map which shows the potential for solar photovoltaic in different parts of the continent. The interactive on-line PV Geographical Information System (PVGIS), developed by the EC's in-house scientific service, allows users to estimate solar performance at any location in Europe.
The EC’s Joint Research Centre says the tool is invaluable as the EU attempts to increase the share of renewable energies to 20% by 2020. The map allows very specific calculation of the energy that can be generated in any location, based on knowledge of the sun's energy, geographic distribution, different terrain and detailed technological analysis of the available PV technologies.
In addition to the map and the interactive service, the PVGIS provides information on the development of solar technology, such as the share of total national electricity consumption in each member country, up-to-date research on photovoltaics and links to databases of solar technology and data.
The most important feature of the new version is an increase in the spatial resolution of terrain data, with a resolution of 100 m compared with 1,000 m in the previous version based on a digital elevation model. “This leads to significantly improved estimates of solar radiation in mountainous areas, both because of a better knowledge of the altitude at a given location and because of an improved calculation of the effects of shadows by nearby mountains or hills.”
The map allows an online assessment of the electricity generation from solar systems in Africa and southwest Asia. The European Commission has supported creation of a European Photovoltaic Technology Platform, which mobilises industry, academia, regulators and financial institutions with an interest in developing European leadership in photovoltaics, and the Platform has designed a Strategic Research Agenda in which the main research and technological development issues for the sector over the next decade are addressed.
The PVGIS website also offers data and tools for geographical assessment of solar photovoltaics. New online features include heating degree days, probability distribution of global irradiation, assessments of 2-axis tracking PV systems and display of the horizon outline for any location. PVGIS communicates in six languages, with French and Spanish being implemented.
