Urbanization and climate change disproportionately affect worldwide rooftop solar viability for self-sufficient electricity (IMAGE)

Innovation Press

Urbanization and climate change disproportionately affect worldwide rooftop solar viability for self-sufficient electricity

Caption

Urban expansion will considerably increase rooftop photovoltaic (RPV) potential over the 21st century.

Per capita RPV potential is likely to decline due to the prevailing trend towards urban densification.

Urbanization primarily drives RPV potential changes, but climate change impacts cannot be overlooked.

Urbanization and climate change may disproportionately constrain lower-income countries’ RPV viability.

Credit

Chen J., Chen Y., Luo M., et al. (2026). Urbanization and climate change disproportionately affect worldwide rooftop solar viability for self-sufficient electricity. The Innovation Geoscience 4:100222. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-geo.2026.100222

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