Global Framework Developed for Assessing Solar PV Potential: Enhancing Feasibility and Affordability for Clean Energy Transition
09 Mar 2026
A research team from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), together with the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) and the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, has developed a detailed, global framework to evaluate the potential for solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment. The framework, which works at a fine scale of 1-kilometer resolution, evaluates both the technical and economic feasibility of solar PV. The team also released a global dataset that tracks "affordability" from 2013 to 2023, offering valuable information for accelerating clean-energy planning and progress toward UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).
Published in Journal of Cleaner Production, the study integrates multi-source datasets—including solar resources, terrain, land cover, protected areas, and infrastructure—to quantify the potential of PV. It looks at both practical constraints (like land availability) and financial feasibility (like investment costs). Instead of relying on coarse national averages, the framework integrates pixel-level remote sensing data with relevant economic indicators, enabling more precise and spatially explicit comparisons of solar PV opportunities across regions and countries.
Solar PV has expanded rapidly worldwide, but having a lot of sunlight does not necessarily mean it's easy or affordable to install solar panels. In many areas with abundant sunlight, there are challenges such as low electricity prices, limited grid accessibility, or high up-front costs. To reflect these challenges, the researchers define economically feasible areas using clear criteria—most notably an investment payback period of 15 years or less, coupled with practical accessibility constraints linked to proximity to settlements and roads.
The analysis estimates that the technical potential for PV worldwide could reach 12,956.93 PWh per year. The economic potential is 4,990.20 PWh per year, which is more than 170 times current global electricity demand. The study also shows that the affordability of solar PV has improved over the past decade. The share of land meeting the economic payback criterion increased from about 24.7% in 2013 to about 75.1% in 2023, thanks to falling costs for solar PV technology.
Further analysis indicates that economic factors such as installation cost and electricity price exert a stronger influence on affordability than solar resource availability. This underscores that expanding viable PV deployment is not just finding the sunniest places, but also about financing conditions, market policies, and cost trends that determines whether a project is feasible in real life.
To validate the study's findings, the team compared their results with a global database of 93,257 existing PV plants. The validation shows that nearly 99% of the observed PV installations fall within the study's defined affordable areas, supporting the framework's accuracy and relevance to current PV deployment.
The study also highlights an emerging land-use challenge. The team found that many existing PV installations are located on cropland, which raises concerns about balance food-production and energy generation. The authors suggest that approaches such as agrivoltaics—combining solar panels with agricultural land—may help address this issue, but these solutions need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to assess costs, yields, and ecological impacts.
The study provides a scalable, clear framework for national and regional energy planning, helping identify "where solar PV can be buil" and "where it is economically viable" under consistent assumptions. The researchers emphasize that strengthening affordability, through cost reductions, improved financing access, and supportive electricity pricing will be central to accelerating clean-energy deployment while minimizing land-use conflicts.
Research News
Global Framework Developed for Assessing Solar PV Potential: Enhancing Feasibility and Affordability for Clean Energy Transition
A research team from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (AIRCAS), together with the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS) and the Foreign Environmental Cooperation Center of China's Ministry of Ecology and Environment, has developed a detailed, global framework to evaluate the potential for solar photovoltaic (PV) deployment. The framework, which works at a fine scale of 1-kilometer resolution, evaluates both the technical and economic feasibility of solar PV. The team also released a global dataset that tracks "affordability" from 2013 to 2023, offering valuable information for accelerating clean-energy planning and progress toward UN's Sustainable Development Goal 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).
Published in Journal of Cleaner Production, the study integrates multi-source datasets—including solar resources, terrain, land cover, protected areas, and infrastructure—to quantify the potential of PV. It looks at both practical constraints (like land availability) and financial feasibility (like investment costs). Instead of relying on coarse national averages, the framework integrates pixel-level remote sensing data with relevant economic indicators, enabling more precise and spatially explicit comparisons of solar PV opportunities across regions and countries.
Solar PV has expanded rapidly worldwide, but having a lot of sunlight does not necessarily mean it's easy or affordable to install solar panels. In many areas with abundant sunlight, there are challenges such as low electricity prices, limited grid accessibility, or high up-front costs. To reflect these challenges, the researchers define economically feasible areas using clear criteria—most notably an investment payback period of 15 years or less, coupled with practical accessibility constraints linked to proximity to settlements and roads.
The analysis estimates that the technical potential for PV worldwide could reach 12,956.93 PWh per year. The economic potential is 4,990.20 PWh per year, which is more than 170 times current global electricity demand. The study also shows that the affordability of solar PV has improved over the past decade. The share of land meeting the economic payback criterion increased from about 24.7% in 2013 to about 75.1% in 2023, thanks to falling costs for solar PV technology.
Further analysis indicates that economic factors such as installation cost and electricity price exert a stronger influence on affordability than solar resource availability. This underscores that expanding viable PV deployment is not just finding the sunniest places, but also about financing conditions, market policies, and cost trends that determines whether a project is feasible in real life.
To validate the study's findings, the team compared their results with a global database of 93,257 existing PV plants. The validation shows that nearly 99% of the observed PV installations fall within the study's defined affordable areas, supporting the framework's accuracy and relevance to current PV deployment.
The study also highlights an emerging land-use challenge. The team found that many existing PV installations are located on cropland, which raises concerns about balance food-production and energy generation. The authors suggest that approaches such as agrivoltaics—combining solar panels with agricultural land—may help address this issue, but these solutions need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to assess costs, yields, and ecological impacts.
The study provides a scalable, clear framework for national and regional energy planning, helping identify "where solar PV can be buil" and "where it is economically viable" under consistent assumptions. The researchers emphasize that strengthening affordability, through cost reductions, improved financing access, and supportive electricity pricing will be central to accelerating clean-energy deployment while minimizing land-use conflicts.