Optimal Solar Siting for Maryland: A Pilot for Baltimore County and City
For the Valleys Planning Council, Chesapeake Conservancy’s Conservation Innovation Center (CIC) conducted a high-resolution geospatial analysis to explore where solar energy could be developed in Baltimore Countyand City. The study entitled, Optimal Solar Siting for Maryland: A Pilot for Baltimore County and City, mapped thousands of potential sites including rooftops, parking canopies, industrial lands and degraded properties to identify opportunities that support Maryland’s renewable energy goals while protecting farmland and ecologically sensitive areas.
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Maryland’s Renewable Portfolio Standard requires 50% of electricity sold by utilities to come from renewable sources including 14.5% from solar. Meeting this goal will require six times the state’s current solar capacity. CIC’s analysis asked a simple question: are there enough optimal sites to meet Baltimore County and City’s share of Maryland’s solar target? The answer was a resounding yes.
The study evaluated sites using legal, technical, environmental and equity criteria. Optimal sites were located primarily in the built environment—on rooftops, parking lots and degraded lands—while a second tier of preferred ground-mounted sites avoided prime farmland and ecologically valuable lands. By screening parcels for forest cover, wetlands and high-priority conservation areas, CIC identified locations where solar couldexpand with minimal land use tradeoffs.
Results showed that the county and city could generate far more solar electricity than required from optimal sites alone. Just a small fraction of these sites would need to be developed to meet local solar goals. By highlighting rooftops, parking canopies, industrial lands and degraded properties, the study provides actionable insights for policymakers, developers and communities to scale solar energy sustainably.
Beyond energy production, smart solar siting offers multiple benefits: reducing greenhouse gas emissions, creating jobs and making solar electricity accessible to low- and moderate-income residents. By combining cutting-edge data with careful analysis, CIC’s study demonstrates how renewable energy expansion can be achieved without compromising farmland, forests or ecologically sensitive lands.
Explore the full report and interactive web map: Report PDF | Web App
