GEOweb Solar Application

District of North Vancouver

The District of North Vancouver's Solar Application shows residents the optimal location for installing a solar water-heating system on their rooftops. Using the district's lidar data, researchers at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Forestry developed a unique solar model that depicts the monthly direct and diffuse solar radiation received for every rooftop in the area.

With this detailed solar model, the district's GIS department built an online solar application for the public. The solar application allows homeowners to view a "heat map" of their rooftop depicting the areas of incoming solar radiation. The information and map allow users to visually determine the optimal location for installing a solar hot water system. The solar application also calculates the annual cost savings and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Courtesy of District of North Vancouver GIS.

Map Book Page [PDF]