Climate Changed
Satellites Reveal Space for Quarter of European Power on Roofs
- Researchers say tapping solar potential could boost employment
- Market impediments are holding back potential of renewables
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Europeans can massively expand low-cost solar generation just by tapping the space over their heads.
That’s the conclusion of researchers who used satellite imagery, electricity prices and lending data to assess the untapped energy potential of Europe’s buildings. Rooftop area three times the size Luxembourg is available and could economically supply almost a quarter of the bloc’s power, according to a paper published in Elsevier’s October edition of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews.