Solar Energy Potential in Ayodhya’s Heritage Urban Areas: A Conceptual Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32628/IJSRST26133108Keywords:
Solar energy assessment, heritage urban centers, Ayodhya, GIS, multi criteria decision analysis, renewable energy policy, heritage conservationAbstract
Heritage cities face a big challenge: they need solar energy, but they also need to ensure that they retain the look and feel that make them special. Most studies on solar energy have only concentrated on the technical aspects, ignoring the cultural and social factors that are also very important in heritage cities. This study, however, has come up with a Tri-Layered Assessment Model (TLAM) that will help assess solar energy potential in heritage cities, with a case study of the heritage city of Ayodhya in the state of Uttar Pradesh.How does this work? Well, the TLAM will assess factors such as urban planning, technical solar potential, heritage sensitivity, and social acceptability, among others. This is done through a combination of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). The data is also based on studies done by NASA POWER, PVGIS, Uttar Pradesh’s Solar Energy Policy 2022, records of the Ram Mandir’s architectural design, and tourism data.The data is very promising. The city of Ayodhya receives a solar irradiance of 5.3 to 5.5 kWh/m²/day, which translates to an average of 1,650 to 1,750 kWh/kWp every year from solar panels. This is very good news, since 35% to 40% of the district is highly suitable for solar panel installation.However, heritage cities are not all the same, and this is where the TLAM comes in. It has divided the city of Ayodhya into three zones, namely the Sacred Core (Zone A), the Transition Zone (Zone B), and the Modern Expansion (Zone C). Each of these zones will need a different strategy, ranging from integrating solar energy with the existing design to installing solar panels in the less sensitive zones.TLAM is a guideline for policymakers and planners, which will help them ensure that they increase solar energy potential without losing the heritage character of the city. This is a very good example of how heritage cities can increase solar energy without losing their heritage character.
Downloads
References
Assouline, D., Mohajeri, N., & Scartezzini, J. L. (2018). Large scale rooftop solar photovoltaic technical potential estimation using Random Forest. Applied Energy, 217, 189–211. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2018.02.118
Biljecki, F., Stoter, J., Ledoux, H., Zlatanova, S., & Çöltekin, A. (2015). Applications of 3D city models: State of the art review. ISPRS International Journal of Geo Information, 4(4), 2842–2889. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi4042842
Catita, C., Redweik, P., Pereira, J., & Brito, M. C. (2014). Extending solar potential analysis in buildings to vertical facades. Computers & Geosciences, 66, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2014.01.002
Cerón, I., Caamaño Martín, E., & Neila, F. J. (2021). ‘State of the art’ of building integrated photovoltaic products for heritage contexts. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 146, 111166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111166
De Medici, S., & Fiorino, D. R. (2020). Italian Architectural Heritage and Photovoltaic Systems: Compatibility and Integration Criteria. Energies, 13(16), 4156. https://doi.org/10.3390/en13164156
Di Rocco, A. R., Bottino Leone, D., Troi, A., & Herrera Avellanosa, D. (2024). Assessment Tool for Photovoltaic Integration Quality in Historic Contexts: Analysis of 17 Refurbishment Cases. Buildings, 14(2), 499. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14020499
Egusquiza, A., Prieto, I., Izkara, J. L., & Béjar, R. (2021). Multi-scale urban data models for early-stage suitability assessment of energy conservation measures in historic urban areas. International Journal of Architectural Heritage, 15(8), 1155–1172. https://doi.org/10.1080/15583058.2019.1691844
Florio, P., & Roecker Probst, C. (2021). Designing and assessing solar energy neighborhoods from visual impact. Sustainable Cities and Society, 71, 102–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.102959
Freitas, S., Catita, C., Redweik, P., & Brito, M. C. (2015). Modelling solar potential in the urban environment: State-of-the-art review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 41, 915–931. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2014.08.060
Giorio, M., Manni, M., Köker, N. I., Bertolin, C., Thebault, M., & Lobaccaro, G. (2025). Interactive Platforms for Solar Energy Planning in Smart Cities: A State-of-the-Art Review of Solar Cadasters. Solar Energy, 287, 112–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2025.112128
Hofierka, J., & Kaňuk, J. (2009). Assessment of photovoltaic potential in urban areas using open source solar radiation tools. Renewable Energy, 34(10), 2206–2214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2009.02.021
Hubinský, T., Hajtmanek, R., Šeligová, A., Legény, J., & Špaček, R. (2023). Potentials and Limits of Photovoltaic Systems Integration in Historic Urban Structures: The Case Study of Monument Reserve in Bratislava, Slovakia. Sustainability, 15(3), 2299. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032299
IPCC. (2022). Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Contribution of Working Group III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Cambridge University Press.
Invest UP. (2023). Uttar Pradesh Solar Energy Policy 2022. Government of Uttar Pradesh. Available at: https://invest.up.gov.in/solar-energy-policy-2022/
Jakubiec, J. A., & Reinhart, C. F. (2013). A method for predicting city wide electricity gains from photovoltaic panels based on LiDAR and GIS data combined with hourly Daysim simulations. Solar Energy, 93, 127–143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2013.03.022
Kumar, P., et al. (2025). Assessment of Solar Energy Potential in Ayodhya District: A Comprehensive Analysis Using Solar Irradiance, Weather Patterns, and Geographical Parameters. International Journal of Research in Science, Commerce, Arts, Management and Technology. Available at: https://ijarsct.co.in/Oct5i1.html, https://doi.org/10.48175/IJARSCT-29106
Larsen & Toubro Construction. (2024). Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir – Project Overview. Available at: https://www.lntecc.com/iconic-projects/shri-ram-janmbhoomi-mandir-ayodhya/
Lingfors, D., & Bright, J. M. (2019). Target-based visibility assessment on building envelopes: Applications to PV and cultural-heritage values. Energy and Buildings, 204, 109483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2019.109483
Lucchi, E. (2020). Integration between photovoltaic systems and cultural heritage: A review of the state of the art. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 44, 278–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2020.04.002
Lucchi, E. (2023). Integration between Photovoltaic Systems and Cultural Heritage: A State-of-the-Art Review of the Last Decade. Buildings, 13(3), 631. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13030631
Lucchi, E., & Jiang, Z. (2023). Adaptive reuse and energy transition of built heritage and historic gardens: The sustainable conservation of Casa Jelinek in Trieste (Italy). Journal of Cultural Heritage, 97, 101–115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2023.10.015
Lucchi, E., & Pracchi, V. (2017). Photovoltaic and cultural heritage: A methodological approach for the assessment of compatibility. Energy Procedia, 122, 877–882. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.07.371
Massano, M., Macii, E., Lanzini, A., Patti, E., & Bottaccioli, L. (2023). A GIS Open-Data Co-Simulation Platform for Photovoltaic Integration in Residential Urban Areas. Engineering, 26, 45–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2023.02.015
Pérez-Pérez, B., & Chacón-Linares, E. (2025). Energy Transition and Heritage in Anthropocene Era—Proposal for a Methodological Analysis at Local Scale. Urban Science, 9(4), 112. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9040112
Redweik, P., Catita, C., & Brito, M. C. (2011). 3D local scale solar radiation model based on urban LIDAR data. International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 38(4W19), 265–270. https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsarchives-XXXVIII-4-W19-265-2011
Roecker Probst, C., & Frontini, F. (2019). Criteria and policies to master the visual impact of solar systems in urban environments: The LESO-QSV method. Solar Energy, 184, 672–685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2019.03.031
Soha, T., Sugár, V., & Hartmann, B. (2024). City-Scale Analysis of PV Potential and Visibility in Heritage Environment Using GIS and LiDAR. Sustainable Cities and Society, 101, 105–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2024.105119
Troia López, S., & Frontini, F. (2021). Photovoltaic BIPV Systems and Architectural Heritage: New Balance between Conservation and Transformation. An Assessment Method for Heritage Values Compatibility and Energy Benefits of Interventions. Sustainability, 13(15), 8507. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158507
UNESCO. (2011). Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Available at: https://whc.unesco.org/en/hul/
Waqas, H., Jiang, Y., Shang, J., Munir, I., & Khan, F. U. (2023). An Integrated Approach for 3D Solar Potential Assessment at the City Scale. Remote Sensing, 15(23), 5498. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15235498
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
