Solar Initiative Project
The University of Calgary (2011):
◦ Spent $28 million to provide the campus with heating, cooling, power and water.
◦ This required nearly 90 million kilowatt hours
◦ 49,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases from natural gas combustion
◦ 189,800 metric tonnes from indirect emissions
The Energy Performance Initiative (EPI)
◦ A multi-phased initiative that aims to reduce costs and reduce emissions.
◦ Committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the University of Calgary by 80% by 2050.
“The solar radiation analysis tools, in the ArcGIS Spatial Analyst extension, enable you to map and analyze the effects of the sun over a geographic area for specific time periods. It accounts for atmospheric effects, site latitude and elevation, steepness (slope), compass direction (aspect), daily and seasonal shifts of the sun angle, and effects of shadows cast by surrounding topography” - ESRI
“Derives incoming solar radiation from a raster surface” – ESRI
◦ Calculates Watts per raster pixel
◦ 1m spatial resolution DEM
The highest areas for solar radiation among the rooftops of the University of Calgary campus are shown below. Panels on the rooftops shown below could supply enough energy to pay for such a project within ten years. This could almost entirely erase the universitys carbon footprint.
