Estimation of photovoltaic potential of solar bus in an urban area: Case study in Gwanak, Seoul, Korea

The photovoltaic industry has experienced rapid growth due to the decrease in price of solar panels and various incentive policies. However, it is not widely utilized as a source of energy for transportation. Studies on photovoltaic potential are required for their use in solar vehicles; they exhibit high potential given the development of solar panels and electric vehicles. The amount of electricity generated on the road through a solar bus was estimated using geographic information systems. The solar potential of town buses in the urban area of Seoul city is analyzed as a case study. Data with a high spatial resolution of 1 m and high temporal resolution of 1 min are obtained to estimate accurate results for moving objects. Thus, the mean generated power per bus is estimated as 2.7 kWh/day with a capacity factor corresponding to 5.57%. The energy can be used to supply basic services that use power in the bus. The results are validated via experiments with a developed mobile sensor. It is expected that the methodology proposed in the study will aid in understanding the potential of a solar bus and can be applied in various studies on solar vehicles. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.