Mapping Solar Energy Potential Zones, using SRTM and Spatial Analysis, Application in Lake Nasser Region, Egypt

Abstract

The geographic location of Egypt  provided an enormous potentiality for solar radiation all through the year. Solar energy can provide a great opportunity for sustainable development and population redistribution in the vast desert zones. One problem facing the development of such zones is the lack of data. The spatial mapping of potential resources of renewable energy would help in providing integrated regional energy plans. This paper discusses the integration of interferometric radar data and spatial analysis models for mapping  the potential zones for solar radiation around Lake Nasser, in Aswan, Egypt. Total annual area-solar radiation was modeled  using Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation. Landsat-7 ETM was used to derive the land use-land/land-cover map. The solar radiation, orography, infrastructure, and land-cover were combined in a multlicriteria analysis model to arrive to the optimum zones for solar energy stations. Annual total area-solar global radiation reached 1,730,423 Wh/m2 and a mean radiation equivalent to  1,606,410 watt hour per square meter. The results reveal that zones having the highest potentiality for harvesting solar energy covers an area equivalent to 20% of the region and possess ideal conditions for siting solar energy stations.   Keywords: solar energy, insolation, area-solar radiation, remote sensing, spatial decision support system, SRTM, Aswan.