Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum - EcoModder.com - Article: MIT maps solar potential of Cambridge, Massachusetts with record accuracy

Hello -

I thought that this was neat :

MIT maps solar potential of Cambridge, Massachusetts with record accuracy

Quote:

MIT researchers have developed a new technique that can be used to accurately predict the annual yield of a photovoltaic solar array located anywhere on the planet, taking into account local climate, panel orientation, and obstructions from nearby buildings. As a proof of concept, the scientists have mapped out the 17,000 rooftops of Cambridge, Massachusetts and created a user-friendly web interface that residents can use to look up their homes and get an accurate projection of the cost and return on investment of placing a PV panel over their heads.
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Even with its slightly pessimistic estimate, the tool shows that if photovoltaic panels were installed on all of the locations classified as either "good" or "excellent" on the map, the city of Cambridge could generate about one third of its energy needs by means of solar panels, for an investment of US$2.8 billion that would certainly pay off in the years to come.
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What I like is that for the context of Cambridge the question of how much solar energy can be harvested in relation to the *need* is answered, aka 33%.

CarloSW2