An interactive satellite map created by an MIT spinoff company has shown how Portland, Oregon could power 80% of its households from the city’s own rooftops.
The technology application revealed 8 GW of photovoltaic generation potential on more than 470 square miles of Portland rooftop.
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“This is a $28-billion opportunity for Oregon’s clean energy industry,” said Mapdwell CEO Eduardo Berlin, “which could offset carbon emissions equivalent to planting 135 million trees.” Berlin said the city’s rooftops could power some 700,000 U.S. homes, roughly four in five Portland households.
The Solar System Portland Metro platform identifies specific solar opportunities and links users to local installers. Mapdwell describes the initiative as “crowd-sourcing the clean energy economy.” The Boston-based cleantech company’s visualization tool for Portland identifies photovoltaic opportunities in a scaleable satellite view of the city in a sunny—or lucrative—shade of gold.
