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City-scale estimation of actual available rooftop areas for solar photovoltaic using a two-stage SegFormer based model

Author

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  • Dong, Lingshuang
  • Xie, Jinfeng
  • Zhang, Yi

Abstract

Development of rooftop photovoltaic (RPV) systems in the urban area plays a crucial role in sustainable energy transformation. However, few studies have accurately assessed RPV potential with the consideration of various superstructures that prevent installation. To address this gap, this study presents a Two-Stage Available RPV Area Extraction (TS-ARPVAE) model based on SegFormer to precisely identify areas suitable for RPV installation in complex urban environments. The proposed model comprises two stages: RoofSeg for extracting roof boundaries and AvailSeg for identifying available areas by excluding rooftop superstructures. To support model development, we established the first comprehensive dataset focusing on available RPV areas in urban contexts, featuring diverse rooftop categories and standardized annotation protocols. The model achieves 93.28 % accuracy, outperforming traditional single-stage approaches. Applied to Shenzhen, China, our analysis reveals that 110.5 km2 (64 %) of the total 170.9 km2 rooftop area is suitable for RPV installation, with industrial and warehousing buildings showing the highest installation potential. Buildings with larger roof areas exhibit higher percentages of available RPV area. Across Shenzhen's nine districts, the availability percentages range from 56.24 % to 76.82 %. Shenzhen's estimated rooftop solar capacity could reach 22.1 GW, with potential generation of 19,028.8 GWh in 2024.

Suggested Citation

  • Dong, Lingshuang & Xie, Jinfeng & Zhang, Yi, 2026. "City-scale estimation of actual available rooftop areas for solar photovoltaic using a two-stage SegFormer based model," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 262(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:262:y:2026:i:c:s0960148126001679
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2026.125342
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