Geospatial Assessment and Economic Analysis of Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Potential in Thailand

Linux Farungsang (), Alvin Christopher G. Varquez and Koji Tokimatsu
Additional contact information
Linux Farungsang: Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
Alvin Christopher G. Varquez: Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan
Koji Tokimatsu: Department of Transdisciplinary Science and Engineering, School of Environment and Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, Yokohama 226-8503, Japan

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-19

Abstract: Evaluating the renewable energy potential, such as that of solar photovoltaics (PV), is important for developing renewable energy policies. This study investigated rooftop solar PV potential in Thailand based on open-source geographic information system (GIS) building footprints, solar PV power output, and the most recent land use data (2022). GIS-based overlay analysis, buffering, fishnet modeling, and spatial join operations were applied to assess rooftop availability across various building types, taking into account PV module installation parameters and optimal panel orientation. Economic feasibility and sensitivity analyses were conducted using standard economic metrics, including net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period, and benefit–cost ratio (BCR). The findings showed a total rooftop solar PV power generation potential of 50.32 TWh/year, equivalent to 25.5% of Thailand’s total electricity demand in 2022. The Central region contributed the highest potential (19.59 TWh/year, 38.94%), followed by the Northeastern (10.49 TWh/year, 20.84%), Eastern (8.16 TWh/year, 16.22%), Northern (8.09 TWh/year, 16.09%), and Southern regions (3.99 TWh/year, 7.92%). Both commercial and industrial sectors reflect the financial viability of rooftop PV installations and significantly contribute to the overall energy output. These results demonstrate the importance of incorporating rooftop solar PV in renewable energy policy development in regions with similar data infrastructure, particularly the availability of detailed and standardized land use data for building type classification.

Keywords: rooftop solar photovoltaic; renewable energy; GIS spatial analysis; solar potential assessment; economic analysis; Thailand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/7052/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/15/7052/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:15:p:7052-:d:1716914

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().