diff --git a/Snakefile b/Snakefile
index 6f3c118f..b01d7edd 100644
--- a/Snakefile
+++ b/Snakefile
@@ -62,6 +62,18 @@ rule build_clustered_population_layouts:
     script: "scripts/build_clustered_population_layouts.py"
 
 
+rule build_simplified_population_layouts:
+    input:
+        pop_layout_total="resources/pop_layout_total.nc",
+        pop_layout_urban="resources/pop_layout_urban.nc",
+        pop_layout_rural="resources/pop_layout_rural.nc",
+        regions_onshore=pypsaeur('resources/regions_onshore_{network}_s{simpl}.geojson')
+    output:
+        clustered_pop_layout="resources/pop_layout_{network}_s{simpl}.csv"
+    resources: mem_mb=10000
+    script: "scripts/build_clustered_population_layouts.py"
+
+
 rule build_heat_demands:
     input:
         pop_layout_total="resources/pop_layout_total.nc",
@@ -235,6 +247,7 @@ rule prepare_sector_network:
         profile_offwind_dc=pypsaeur("resources/profile_offwind-dc.nc"),
         clustermaps=pypsaeur('resources/clustermaps_{network}_s{simpl}_{clusters}.h5'),
         clustered_pop_layout="resources/pop_layout_{network}_s{simpl}_{clusters}.csv",
+        simplified_pop_layout="resources/pop_layout_{network}_s{simpl}.csv",
         industrial_demand="resources/industrial_demand_{network}_s{simpl}_{clusters}.csv",
         heat_demand_urban="resources/heat_demand_urban_{network}_s{simpl}_{clusters}.nc",
         heat_demand_rural="resources/heat_demand_rural_{network}_s{simpl}_{clusters}.nc",
diff --git a/scripts/prepare_sector_network.py b/scripts/prepare_sector_network.py
index d993c341..b596b50c 100644
--- a/scripts/prepare_sector_network.py
+++ b/scripts/prepare_sector_network.py
@@ -689,8 +689,14 @@ def insert_electricity_distribution_grid(network):
     solar = network.generators.index[network.generators.carrier == "solar"]
     network.generators.loc[solar, "capital_cost"] = costs.at['solar-utility',
                                                              'fixed']
-    # add max solar rooftop potential assuming 1kW/person
-    potential = pop_layout.total.rename(index = lambda x: x + " solar")
+    if snakemake.wildcards.clusters[-1:] == "m":
+        pop_solar = simplified_pop_layout.total.rename(index = lambda x: x + " solar")
+    else:
+        pop_solar = pop_layout.total.rename(index = lambda x: x + " solar")
+
+    # add max solar rooftop potential assuming 0.1 kW/m2 and 10 m2/person,
+    #i.e. 1 kW/person (population data is in thousands of people) so we get MW
+    potential = 0.1*10*pop_solar
 
     network.madd("Generator",
                  solar,
@@ -1778,6 +1784,8 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     pop_layout["ct_total"] = pop_layout["ct"].map(ct_total.get)
     pop_layout["fraction"] = pop_layout["total"]/pop_layout["ct_total"]
 
+    simplified_pop_layout = pd.read_csv(snakemake.input.simplified_pop_layout,index_col=0)
+
     costs = prepare_costs(snakemake.input.costs,
                           snakemake.config['costs']['USD2013_to_EUR2013'],
                           snakemake.config['costs']['discountrate'],