The use of GIS as a tool for the integrated design of solar photovoltaic street lighting systems
Ovidio Rabaza, Evaristo Molero, Antonio Peña-García Department of Civil Engineering. University of Granada, Spain 2026-02-15

Abstract

The integrated design of solar street lighting basedon Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an innovative approach that combines solar technologies and spatial analysis to optimize stand-alone photovoltaic street lighting installations. This work presents a GIS-based tool in the prototype phase for automated urban planning, enabling the rapid and accurate design of solar public lighting across all streets simultaneously in rural, residential, or urban areas. Designing an installation of this kind for a single street is a time-consuming task, and when multiple streets are involved, the process becomes significantly more complex. To address this, the project integrates a GIS model that streamlines the large-scale design and planning process. The model incorporates relevant geospatial data, including location, road width, solar irradiation levels, required lighting levels, shaded areas, and luminaire catalogues. This tool considers lighting requirements based on safety standards and community needs, adjusting the arrangement of luminaires, battery capacity, and panel power to ensure the system is solar-powered and capable of delivering the intended service.

Key words: PV battery system, street lighting, GIS.

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