BESCOM to Rollout Tool for Rooftop Solar Potential

The tool essentially shows which part of the roof is suitable, based on the colour codes. It then calculates and generates the best system design to set up solar panels.

Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (Bescom) is looking to add a first-of-its-kind tool that evaluates which part of one’s rooftop can generate maximum solar energy and identify the best areas for solar power generation, to its website by the end of this month.

The web-based tool, based on an aerial survey done using LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology, has been developed by Bengaluru-based think tank Centre for Study of Science, Technology Environment and Policy (CSTEP).

“Using the ID, the tool accesses the user’s geographical area, after which the person has to zoom into his house on the given map. It displays the solar profile of the consumer’s rooftop in colour-coded zones ranging from yellow to dark red. Dark red indicates radiation is more in that particular area, making it ideal for PV installation, whereas yellow means it’s not a good spot,” said Saptak Ghosh, Research Scientist at CSTEP.

“The tool essentially shows which part of the roof is suitable, based on the colour codes. It then calculates and generates the best system design to set up solar panels. The business returns and power generation details are also calculated by the tool,” Ghosh added.

Bescom officials pointed out how the buildings will be ranked based on solar rooftop potentials, following which highest-ranked buildings, whose cumulative capacity amount to 1GW, will be identified.

Ahead of its rollout, it is being tested in houses at Malleswaram, said researchers working on the project. The tool can be accessed by any consumer with a unique Bescom account ID and will also go live on CSTEP’s website by January-end.

“Karnataka is targeting over 6GW of solar capacity addition by 2021-22 with a Rooftop Photo Voltaic (RTPV) component of around 2.3GW, with Becom’s share being 1GW. CSTEP will use the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method to rank the buildings. The highest-ranked buildings cumulatively amounting to 1GW will be identified. Bescom can call for large-scale tenders based on this approach. This will bring down the cost of RTPV and the tariffs necessary for financial viability,” C Shikha, MD Bescom said.

Source: TNN