COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SOLAR ENERGY POTENTIAL IN

THE CONTINENTAL U.S.

Kangjun Choi

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WHY?• Energy is power that allow residents to maintain post-

industrial lifestyle and it is necessary to maintain the societies in the U.S.

• However, The U.S. relies heavily on nonrenewable fossil fuel energy which causes climate change, soil, air, and water pollution.

• In order to secure affordable long-term energy supplies and reduce energy related pollution, we need to know where we should install solar panels.

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PROJECT OBJECTIVES

• Recognize the main factors for potentially fruitful solar energy sites in the U.S.

• Reclassify the factors and analyze the classified factors based on their influences on the potential sites.

• Represent potentially fruitful solar energy sites in the U.S.

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CARTOGRAPHIC MAPWhere do we install

solar panels?

Elevation

Solar Radiation

Analysis

Global Radiation

Reclassify

Potential Sites

Towns + Roads

Distance Analysis

Distance

Land cover

Selection

Available Lands

NOAA AVHRR

Image Analysis

Cloud Cover

Water bodies +

Protected Areas

Feature Analysis

Water bodies + Protected

Areas

Map Algebra

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AREA OF STUDY : THE CONTINENTAL U.S.

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ELEVATION

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SOLAR RADIATION ANALYSIS

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GLOBAL RADIATION

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TOWNS + ROADS

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DISTANCE ANALYSIS

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ACCESSIBILITY

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LAND COVER

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SELECTION

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AVAILABLE LANDS

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CLOUD COVER

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WATER BODIES + PROTECTED AREAS

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POTENTIAL SITES

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QUESTIONS?

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REFERENCES• http://www.slideshare.net/oloofrank/gis-project-finalpresentation?qi

d=f675d57c-1d52-43f6-bf86-3b75be618b54&v=qf1&b=&from_search=1

• http://www.slideshare.net/oloofrank/cartography-student-projectoloobasirhaufe?related=1

• http://www.diva-gis.org/• http://mapcruzin.blogspot.co.at/• http://www.tnclands.tnc.org/#• http://www.class.ncdc.noaa.gov/• http://www.fao.org/geonetwork/srv/en/main.home• http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd11_data.php• http://www.mrlc.gov/nlcd06_leg.php