Alternative Energy is a sector that is developing incredibly fast. This is driven by man’s need for large quantities of clean energy to meet demand while preserving the natural environment.
This is an issue that faces every house owner considering installing solar panels. The daylight factor for a specific location is calculated using a wide time series of satellite images or images obtained from aerial photography. This can then be used to determine the required area of the solar panels needed to meet a building’s power requirements. The calculation employs a land classification technology to identify buildings, while the sunlight intensity is calculated by measuring the shadow area and differences in intensity of shadows.
This is done by using a large quantity of data obtained both from external sources and by analysing and processing Earth Remote Sensing images. In this case, SAR image processing techniques are used to define soil parameters and the optically visible and invisible range to measure various risk factors associated with landscape features. This makes it possible to identify optional locations for the installation of windfarms.
Solar and Windfarms status monitoring is an important activity for ensuring the sustainable development of the industry. Many of these power installations are in remote and isolated locations or are spread over large areas that can only be monitored by remote sensing. For solar panels, satellite or aerial photography images can be used to measure the reflection coefficient, which directly influences their power capacity; for windfarms, radar image (SAR Change Detection) can be used to determine the reliability of a structure, its status and soil subsidence.