Case Study of Solar Photovoltaic Power-Plant Site Selection for Infrastructure Planning Using a BIM-GIS-Based Approach

Abstract

Evaluating the site-selection process for photovoltaic (PV) plants is essential for securing available areas for solar power plant installation in limited spaces. Although the vicinities of highway networks can be suitable for installing PV plants, in terms of economic feasibility, they have rarely been investigated because the impacts of various factors, including geographic or weather patterns, have not been analyzed. In this respect, this study conducts a case study on selecting the site for PV-panel installation in the vicinity of a highway (e.g., slopes) by integrating geographic information system (GIS) and building information model (BIM) techniques. Using location (e.g., highways, lakes, rivers), monthly solar power output, and orographic (e.g., slope) data, suitable regions are identified with the geo-spatial analysis; then, the amount of power that can be generated is evaluated in the regions. For the proposed sites, the surface conditions and potential PV systems are transformed and visualized in a BIM environment. In the results, the power output at optimal sites selected from the case area was computed at a total of 8227 MWh and was transformed into solar-panel families in three-dimensional environments. Thus, this study may help to identify optimal sites for PV plants in the unused areas near highways.