An Integrated Remote Sensing and GIS Approach to Evaluating the Trade-offs Between Solar Energy Deployment, Land Use, and Carbon Storage Potential

Chin-Chieh  Chang; Hui-Tieh  Hung; Kai-Hsiang  Huang

doi:10.6180/jase.202608_31.050

An Integrated Remote Sensing and GIS Approach to Evaluating the Trade-offs Between Solar Energy Deployment, Land Use, and Carbon Storage Potential

Chin-Chieh Chang, Hui-Tieh Hung, and Kai-Hsiang HuangThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Department of Civil Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology

Received: November 18, 2025
Accepted: January 17, 2026
Publication Date: March 5, 2026

Copyright The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are cited.

Download Citation: ||https://doi.org/10.6180/jase.202608_31.050

This study evaluates the trade-offs betweensolarphotovoltaic (PV)deployment, land-use change, and vegetation carbon storage in Taiwan. Satellite imagery and official land-use datasets were used as primary data sources, while Geographic Information Systems (GIS)– based spatial overlay analysis was employed to map nationwide solar panel distributions and quantify land-use conversions. Spectral indices, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), were applied as supporting tools for solar panel identification and land-cover discrimination. Results indicate that southern Taiwan—particularly Pingtung County—has experienced the most intensive expansion of ground-mounted and floating PV systems, accompanied by substantial conversions of farmland and small woodlands. In Checheng Township, agricultural land declined sharply as electricity facilities and anthropogenic land uses expanded. Carbon accounting and biomass-based modeling reveal that existing vegetation, even in small woodland patches, provides persistent long-term carbon storage that is forfeited when converted to PV sites. Quantitative comparison showsthatsolarPVdeploymentyieldshigherandmorestableannualcarbonreduction benefits (5.65–6.57 kt-CO2e/yr) than the mean annual carbon sequestration of vegetation (approximately 0.38 kt-CO₂e/yr), although vegetation contributes important long-term carbon stocks and ecosystem services. These f indings highlight a clear trade-off between immediate energy-driven emission reductions and the loss of nature-based carbon sinks. The study recommends prioritizing rooftop PV installations and the reuse of idle or low-ecological-value lands to minimize land-use conflicts. Incorporating vegetation carbon storage into renewable energy siting criteria can better align net-zero targets with sustainable land management.

Keywords: Solar Energy; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Remote Sensing; Trade-off Analysis; Land Use Change; Vegetation Carbon Storage

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