Mapping Rooftop Solar Potential in Armenia Using EO Data
Working together with the World Bank, the GDA Clean Energy consortium used Earth Observation (EO) data to support Armenia’s clean energy goals by mapping solar potential at national and building levels, enabling targeted rooftop photovoltaic (PV) planning.
Description
The GDA Clean Energy activity collaborated with the World Bank to deliver Earth Observation (EO) based services supporting Armenia’s clean energy transition. The objective was to assess solar potential at national and building levels, enabling data-driven decisions to expand rooftop photovoltaic (PV) deployment. This work aligns with the World Bank’s Enabling the Energy Transition Program for Results, which aims to increase long-term commercial financing for clean energy and improve energy efficiency in Armenia’s building sector.
EO services were developed in two phases: first, national-scale layers were produced to characterise solar irradiation and cloud probability. In a second step, detailed local analysis was conducted in the city of Syunik to estimate rooftop solar potential for individual buildings larger than 10m². This involved integrating Sentinel-2 and very high-resolution (VHR) tri-stereo data, digital elevation models, building footprints with address information, energy infrastructure, and land use/land cover data.
Outputs included rooftop suitability maps, identification of rooftop sub-characteristics that could reduce solar potential, and comparison of tri-stereo versus stereo imagery to assess differences in accuracy. These EO services provided actionable insights for the World Bank project team, offering a level of detail beyond standard applications and demonstrating EO’s value in accelerating clean energy planning in Armenia.