As solar energy adoption accelerates across the globe, access to reliable data on solar installations is more important than ever. Researchers, policymakers, solar developers, and even homeowners want to know where solar panels are located, how large systems are, and how much potential still exists on rooftops, parking lots, and open land. Fortunately, several organizations have created databases, maps, and visualization tools that track everything from rooftop solar potential to the exact boundaries of utility-scale solar farms. This article explores the best places to find maps and databases of solar roofs, solar parking lots, and solar farms — along with practical examples of how you can use them.
Why Solar Maps and Databases Matter
Before diving into resources, it’s important to understand why these tools are so valuable.
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For city planners: Solar maps help determine how much renewable energy can be generated locally, guiding zoning, grid infrastructure, and carbon-neutral goals.
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For developers and investors: Databases of existing solar projects reveal where new opportunities exist, and which regions are saturated.
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For educators and advocates: Maps visualize progress in clean energy adoption and inspire communities to participate.
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For homeowners and businesses: Rooftop and parking lot solar maps show the feasibility of installing panels on private property.
Simply put, without spatial data, scaling solar energy efficiently would be much harder.
1. U.S. Large-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Database (USPVDB)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) maintains the USPVDB, one of the most comprehensive datasets for utility-scale solar in the United States.
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Coverage: All ground-mounted solar projects ≥1 megawatt (MW).
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Features: Each record includes project boundaries, capacity in megawatts, year operational, site type (e.g., farmland, desert, brownfield), and technology type.
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Access: The interactive Viewer allows browsing by state or county, and data can be downloaded in formats like CSV, shapefile, or GeoJSON.
Use case: A researcher studying land-use impacts of solar can overlay the USPVDB boundaries on agricultural maps to see how much farmland has been converted.
👉 Explore: USPVDB Viewer
2. NREL PV Rooftop Database (PVRDB)
Rooftop solar is growing rapidly, but how much potential remains untapped? That’s what the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) set out to answer with the PV Rooftop Database.
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Coverage: Over 128 U.S. metropolitan areas, mapped using LiDAR data.
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Features: Provides building outlines, roof plane orientation, shading analysis, and estimated solar capacity.
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Access: Data is hosted on data.gov and can be used in GIS platforms or modeling tools.
Use case: A city sustainability office can estimate how many homes in its jurisdiction could host solar, helping inform incentives or community solar programs.
3. Solar Resource Maps & NSRDB
Understanding where the sun shines brightest is key to siting new projects. The National Solar Radiation Database (NSRDB) and NREL Solar Maps provide detailed irradiance data.
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Coverage: U.S. and the Americas, with satellite-derived data at 4-km resolution.
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Features: Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI), Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), and Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI).
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Access: Maps can be downloaded as high-resolution images or GIS rasters.
Use case: A developer comparing sites in Arizona vs. Texas can use irradiance maps to calculate potential energy yield.
👉 Explore: NREL Solar Resource Maps
4. SEIA Major Solar Projects List
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) tracks large solar projects across the U.S. in its Major Solar Projects List.
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Coverage: Ground-mounted solar ≥1 MW — includes projects built, under construction, or planned.
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Features: Provides project name, capacity, developer, status, and location.
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Access: Available for browsing or download, often cited by industry analysts.
Use case: An investor can monitor which companies are leading development in certain states, or track market growth trends.
👉 Explore: SEIA Major Projects
5. SolarEnergyMaps.com (30,000+ Solar Locations Mapped)
For a more visual, user-friendly resource, SolarEnergyMaps.com is one of the largest interactive databases dedicated to solar.
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Coverage: Nearly 30,000 mapped solar locations worldwide, including solar farms, rooftop projects, school solar systems, and solar parking lot installations.
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Features: Searchable by region, with layers for different solar asset types.
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Access: Web-based interactive maps, designed for the general public and researchers alike.
Use case: A student researching renewable energy adoption in their community can quickly see nearby installations, while policymakers can identify solar-rich zones that may need grid upgrades.
👉 Explore: SolarEnergyMaps.com
6. Global Solar Atlas (World Bank / Solargis)
For international projects, the Global Solar Atlas is one of the best resources.
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Coverage: Worldwide, with irradiance and PV potential layers.
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Features: Provides GHI, DNI, PV output potential, and environmental data.
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Access: Free to use, with downloadable GIS layers.
Use case: A nonprofit planning solar microgrids in Africa can use the atlas to identify high-yield regions.
👉 Explore: Global Solar Atlas
7. Emerging Research Datasets
In addition to established government and industry tools, researchers are publishing new global datasets powered by satellite imagery and artificial intelligence:
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Global Renewables Watch: AI-driven mapping of solar farms worldwide.
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GloSoFarID: Multispectral dataset for identifying solar farms in remote sensing imagery.
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Crowdsourced Rooftop PV Datasets: Annotated aerial images of rooftops with PV installations, useful for machine learning.
8. Local GIS and Open Data Portals
Many states, cities, and utilities now publish solar maps in their local GIS portals. Examples include:
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California Energy Commission – solar generation data by county.
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New York State – interactive maps of distributed solar projects.
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City of Boston Solar Map – building-level solar potential estimates.
These localized datasets can sometimes be more detailed than national ones, especially for rooftop and parking lot projects.
Comparison Table
| Resource | Coverage Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| USPVDB (USGS) | Ground-mounted ≥1 MW | Utility-scale solar analysis |
| NREL PVRDB | Rooftop solar potential | Urban feasibility, planning |
| NREL NSRDB | Irradiance data | Yield estimates, site screening |
| SEIA Major Projects | Ground-mounted ≥1 MW | Market trends, project tracking |
| SolarEnergyMaps.com | Mixed (farms, schools, parking) | Public exploration, education |
| Global Solar Atlas | Worldwide irradiance & PV output | International planning, NGOs |
| Research datasets | Global, ML-ready | Academic research, AI training |
| Local GIS portals | City/state solar data | Localized policy and planning |
How to Use Solar Maps Effectively
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For homeowners: Use rooftop solar maps to see if your roof has good exposure. Pair it with tools like Google Project Sunroof for financial estimates.
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For municipalities: Combine rooftop datasets with parking lot data to plan community solar projects.
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For researchers: Overlay USPVDB or SEIA data with biodiversity maps to study land impacts.
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For investors: Track new large projects to anticipate market shifts and growth states.
SEO Optimization Tips
If you’re writing about or promoting solar mapping resources:
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Use keyword clusters: “solar farm database,” “rooftop solar potential,” “solar map tools,” “renewable energy GIS.”
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Link to authoritative sources: NREL, USGS, SEIA, and World Bank add credibility.
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Create regional spin-offs: Articles like “California Solar Maps” or “Where to Find Solar Parking Lot Data in Texas.”
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Embed visuals: If possible, include screenshots or embedded interactive maps.
Conclusion
Maps and databases of solar roofs, parking lots, and solar farms are critical for scaling renewable energy. Whether you’re a policymaker, researcher, developer, or simply curious about solar in your neighborhood, there’s a growing ecosystem of tools at your disposal. For large solar farms, turn to the USPVDB and SEIA lists. For rooftops and parking lots, explore NREL’s PVRDB and local city GIS portals. For global irradiance and resource potential, rely on the Global Solar Atlas and NSRDB. For quick visual exploration, try SolarEnergyMaps.com, which now features nearly 30,000 mapped solar locations worldwide. Together, these resources paint a clear picture of where solar is today — and where it can go tomorrow.