Smart Grid and Renewable Energy, 2015, 6, 128-139
Published Online May 2015 in SciRes. http://www.scirp.org/journal/sgre
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/sgre.2015.65012
How to cite this paper: Luqman, M., Ahmad, S.R., 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. http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/sgre.2015.65012
Estimation of Solar Energy Potential from
Rooftop of Punjab Government Servants
Cooperative Housing Society
Lahore Using GIS
Muhammad Luqman, Sajid Rashid Ahmad, Samiullah Khan, Usman Ahmad, Ahmad Raza,
Farkhanda Akmal
Institute of Geology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Email: m_luqman1@yahoo.com
Received 18 April 2015; accepted 26 May 2015; published 29 May 2015
Copyright © 2015 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Abstract
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 us-
ing 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 alter-
native source of energy from rooftops of residential areas in district Lahore. Punjab Govern-
ments 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 sup-
plement to compensate energy shortfall in local area.
Keywords
Photovoltaic, Alternative Energy, Pakistan, CO
2
Emission, Rooftop