A GIS-AHP Multi Criteria Decision Based Approach for Selecting Suitable Areas for Solar PV Plants in A Large City-Scale, Turkey

Authors : Şükrü Taner Azgın, Tuğrul Urfalı, Abdurrahman Eymen

Pages : 950-961

View : 80 | Download : 82

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :In this study, we use geographical information systems (GIS) and multi criteria decision-making (MCDM) guidance to identify ideal locations for solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in Konya province, Turkey. Four major criteria are considered in experiments: meteorological, topographical, infrastructure, and environmental. Thirteen additional criteria, supported by experienced weighting, are used to generate a 4 category site suitability map and identify the fraction of unsuitable locations to assess Turkey’s intent to increase the production of renewable energy. The results indicate that meteorological conditions (global horizontal irradiation, slope, and land aspect) have the highest importance when selecting a suitable location, while environmental conditions (precipitation and relative humidity) have the lowest impact. However, the thematic map showed that 8.7% (3,556 km2) of the province is highly suitable for installing solar PV plants, and 26% (10,832 km2) of the area is classified as unsuitable. The combination of MCDM and GIS methodology applied in this study is effective for selecting optimal sites for solar PV plants and could be similarly used for renewable technologies in other developing countries, where the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is inevitable.
Keywords : Analitik Hiyerarşi Süreci (AHP), Coğrafi Bilgi Sistemi (CBS), Çok Kriterli Karar Verme (ÇKKV), Optimum Konum, Güneş Enerjisi

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