European subsidies were an additional incentive for GO! (Education of the Flemish Community) to unfold a large-scale PV panel plan. The large number of buildings (500+) and their distribution across Flanders did not make the task easy at first glance. But with a new methodology that combines data from GO! itself with public data, we were able to make a clear choice menu and business plan in a short period of time. We even drew up a top 10 of the most interesting buildings per school group.

‍

With Repower EU, Europe aims to accelerate the replacement of gas and fuel oil building heating with renewable energy. The subsidy pot is considerable. Organizations with a very large patrimony can receive millions of euros in subsidies. The GO! - Education of the Flemish Community - was able to install 100,000 m2 of solar panels with the available funds. The crucial question was: which buildings are the most suitable to put solar panels on?

With and without site visit

Based on its own database, GO! had already investigated which buildings had sufficient stability to put PV panels on the roof. Of course, it would have been impossible to visit and measure all these buildings on site. We linked the GO! address lists to public data from the Flemish government. This allowed us to make an automatically generated 3D model of each site based on publicly available data on the height of the roof and the type of roof (flat / sloping). We visited about ten sites to make sure that the public data matched reality.

Based on simulations, we were also able to map the amount of sunlight on each roof. We made a 3D model per building containing a lot of information, such as how many PV panels we can place on the roof, how much yield, the corresponding cost price, and also the consumption of that school. With any additional site visits, that info can be supplemented.

Top 10 by school group

The more than 500 building sites are divided among 28 school groups. To spread the subsidies as evenly as possible, we made a top 10 of the most suitable buildings per school group. The most important parameters here were how large the PV installation on the building could be, and how quickly it could be earned back. Based on those rankings, GO! knows which sites need to look at their internal building projects in more detail and where framework contracts with PV panel installers can be negotiated.

Also for other patrimony

With a very extensive patrimony, it may seem insurmountable to make comprehensive analyses quickly and efficiently. For those who have dozens or even hundreds of buildings, however, it is crucial to be able to make targeted and efficient choices and decisions for the often enormous investments. Our methodology - which combines our own data, built up over many years, with public data and even 'deep learning' based on AI - makes this possible.

‍