Solar Vortex

3D Solar Rooftop Mapping with Google 3D Tiles, Deck.gl, and Three.js

Introduction Estimating solar potential isn’t just about mapping rooftops—it requires accurate panel placement, shading analysis, and real-time sun exposure calculations. To achieve this, we integrated Google’s Photorealistic 3D Tiles with Deck.gl’s Tiles3DLayer and Three.js for rendering dynamically placed solar panels. While Deck.gl provides high-performance geospatial visualization, Three.js gives us precise control over materials, object transformations, and real-time shadows. Combining both frameworks allowed us to create an efficient, interactive 3D solar analysis tool. ...

Running Custom WebGL Shaders Using Deck.gl for Solar Potential Analysis

Introduction Accurate solar potential analysis requires precise shadow modeling—a challenge when dealing with large-scale city models in real time. Traditional GIS tools often rely on precomputed static shadow maps, but for dynamic sun positions and interactive analysis, we need a more flexible approach. Leveraging Deck.gl’s WebGL-powered rendering pipeline, we implemented a custom shader-based solution to calculate real-time solar exposure on buildings. By extending Deck.gl’s built-in layers with custom GLSL shaders, we were able to: ...

Calculating BIPV Potential Using GHI, DNI, and Other Solar Parameters

Introduction Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) present an innovative way to harness solar energy by integrating photovoltaic panels into a building’s façades and rooftops. Unlike conventional rooftop-mounted solar panels, BIPV panels serve both architectural and functional purposes, making them an essential part of sustainable urban development. However, accurately estimating the energy generation potential of BIPV requires precise calculations that consider various solar radiation parameters, including: Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) – the total solar energy incident on a horizontal surface. Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) – the amount of direct sunlight received perpendicular to the sun’s rays. Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI) – the scattered sunlight reaching the surface from the atmosphere. In this blog, we discuss how these parameters contribute to BIPV energy estimation and how we integrate them into our 3D city model-based solar analysis for an accurate and interactive assessment. ...