Analysis of solar energy potential to construct a solar community in North Korea

Abstract

Background/Objectives: North Korea’s residential environment is poor because housing has hardly been developed since 1953. This study aims to analyze the solar energy potential to construct community in North Korea.

Methods/Statistical analysis: As a fundamental study, this paper focuses on selecting optimal regions for such a project in North Korea, considering solar energy and accessibility to South Korea by railway. The Inter-Korean railways were used to calculate the solar energy by the region by dividing North Korea, and the Hottel’s clean sky model was introduced as a methodology to derive the solar energy.

Findings: For this study, specific regions in North Korea must first be determined, and two important elements must be examined. First, the transportation networks of the two Koreas are analyzed, and second, the available solar energy is calculated. For the former, the project region must have excellent accessibility to South Korea because massive South Korean resources, e.g., materials, technicians, and maintenance resources, must be transported to North Korea for the project. This study used railways as a transportation network for the project because the Trans-Korean Railway (TKR) between South and North Korea is currently being actively discussed. For the latter, regions in North Korea with abundant solar energy should first be identified. Moreover, for the project to be effective, regions with excellent accessibility to South Korea must be selected. The analysis results revealed that three regions in western North Korea, namely, Haeju, Chonju, and Changyon, had the highest solar energy. Furthermore, although the Kumgangsan region in eastern North Korea had less solar energy than the western regions, it was the most accessible.

Improvements/Applications: This study could significantly contribute to the improving the North Korean sustainable development as well as to promoting the peace and the prosperity between South and North Koreas. 

Keywords: Solar community, Solar energy potential, North Korea, inter-Korean railway, Optimum regions