The Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Potential of Urban Rooftops and Parking Lots

Substituting unsustainable fossil fuels with renewable energy sources represents a viable strategy to mitigate a wide range of environmental challenges. Urban rooftops and parking lots, owing to their expansive surface area, exhibit substantial potential for producing renewable energy via PV systems. The thesis puts forth a comprehensive and meticulous approach for evaluating the energy and carbon advantages of staged PV systems over the rooftops and parking lots in urban settings. The proposed method is intended to be utilized by public, utility, and private sectors in urban areas, such as Pittsburgh, to determine the feasibility of investments in this area. Alongside the methodology for quantification, a dashboard was developed to present a visual representation of the prioritized locations for PV installations, as well as the potential benefits of PV technology for policymakers, building proprietors, and community leaders.