Author(s)

Muhammad Luqman, Sajid Rashid Ahmad, Samiullah Khan, Usman Ahmad, Ahmad Raza, Farkhanda Akmal

Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.

Pakistan has a severe electricity load shading problem. Government is trying to find out all ways for electricity generation. Alternative energy board is working to find out the energy potential using all alternative resources. Board has an objective to produce 9700 MW by 2030 to overcome load shading problem. A research was designed to find out the solar energy potential as an alternative source of energy from rooftops of residential areas in district Lahore. Punjab Governments servants housing society Lahore is selected. The society has minimum slope, aspect and shadows effects on the roofs. Also houses in PGSHS have same house structures and good town plan. A few portions of roofs are digitized to measure the available rooftop area for Photovoltaic panel’s installation. GIS models are used to find out solar energy potential monthly as well as yearly for the year of 2014. The potential estimated is 39,613,072 kWh/year. The monthly total energy consumption of the society is 347,140 kWh which is only 11% of energy production from PV solar panels. As the estimated energy is 9 times than the energy demand of the society, extra energy can be used in local/national electricity transmission grid. Solar PV energy would be supplement to compensate energy shortfall in local area.

Photovoltaic, Alternative Energy, Pakistan, CO₂ Emission, Rooftop

Luqman, M. , Ahmad, S. , Khan, S. , Ahmad, U. , Raza, A. and Akmal, F. (2015) Estimation of Solar Energy Potential from Rooftop of Punjab Government Servants Cooperative Housing Society Lahore Using GIS. Smart Grid and Renewable Energy, 6, 128-139. doi: 10.4236/sgre.2015.65012.