Solar Energy Potential in British Columbia

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Solar Energy Potential in British Columbia

• Geography 376 Project
• Alan Wiebe

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Abstract

• Determine topographic suitability of small-scale
  solar energy in BC
• Identify remote areas in BC that are possibly
  well-suited for small-scale solar energy

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Introduction

• Three main categories of solar energy are
• Heating and cooling,
• Producing electricity,
• Chemical processes

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Introduction

• Advantages of solar energy over conventional
  sources
• Produced at nearly no charge
• Requires no connection to local grid
• Unlimited energy supply
• Produces no emissions
• Displaces use of conventional energy
• Open for all to harness!

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Introduction

• Three forms of solar energy (as per Natural
  Resources Canada)
• Active solar energy
• use of a medium (air, water)
• Passive solar energy
• strategic placing of windows
• Photovoltaic energy
• semiconductor devices
• energy conversion

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Introduction

• Economic viability
• most viable in remote locations
• decreasing costs of production
• (since 1980s)
• approx. 1/6th of population of BC lives in rural
  areas (600,000)

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Methodology

• Data used
• 2001 Census data
• Elevation data (DEM)
• Roads, rail lines
• Lakes, wetlands, parks
• Solar radiation (shortwavc.aml)

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Methodology

• Area Omissions
• lakes, wetlands, parks (no buffer)
• roads, rail lines (buffered by 10m)

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Methodology Area Omissions
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Methodology - Criteria Evaluation

• Aspect
• Scaled Aspect Cos(Aspect)15
• Solar Radiation
• Average for year
• Population Density
• Census Division (28)
• Transmission Line Proximity
• Linear distance (up to 560 km)

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Methodology Factor Weighing
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Methodology Factor Weighing
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Methodology Factor Weighing
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Methodology Factor Weighing
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Methodology

• Ran 6 scenarios
• Assigning different weights to 4 variables

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Methodology Model Comparison
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Discussion

• Data Issues
• Missing data
• Inconsistent/unknown age of sets
• Resolution (raster and vector)
• Solar radiation data AML script

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Discussion

• Criteria Evaluation
• Assumptions (linear/non-linear relations)
• Low score-value range
• Actual value classification
• Possible Scenarios
• Arbitrary factor weights
• Results
• Compounding errors