27.04.23 - The climatic and energetic crisis force us to think about rooftops usage - a new STDL project!

The climatic and energetic crisis put more than ever a big pressure on the management of our territory. We need space for the development of new infrastructures while maintaining a low impact on the biodiversity and landscape around us. In this context, it seems more necessary than ever to use the rooftops. They would allow the production of local solar energy without conflicting with other attribution of the territory. The roofs could also welcome some green surface. This would promote the biodiversity in the cities and decrease the heat island effect.
 
However, the administrations are currently missing the knowledge of the free surfaces on the roofs. There is no federal survey of the existing solar installations and vegetated rooftops. In addition, there is a large variety of roofs types and roof objects, such as windows, ventilations and pipes or antennas.

There is a real stake in being able to accurately determine open areas on roofs and classify obstacles.
 
Last month, the Swiss Territorial Data Lab (STDL) started a new project on the occupation of rooftops in cooperation with the State of Geneve. Below some slides about the context and challenges. Feel free to reach out if you are interested or have been working on this topic.

#energytransition #rooftop #vegetalisation