Land suitability analysis for solar farms exploitation using the GIS and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) – a case study of Morocco

Abstract

Given Morocco's geographical position and climatic conditions, solar energy will supply a large portion of the country's energy demand. In this paper, the suitability of Moroccan lands for hosting Solar Power Plants was studied using the combination of the Geographic Information System (GIS) and the Analytical Hierarchy Method (AHP). The multi-criteria decision framework integrates technical, socio-economic and environmental constraints. For this purpose, a GIS database was created using layers from various sources. In addition, since the potential of Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI) is the most relevant criterion for the selection of solar farms, a high-quality solar satellite map with a spatial resolution of 0.27 km was used, covering a period from 1994 to 2018. Obtained results show a great potential for solar energy development in Morocco, represented by the availability of 90% of areas. In fact, the resulting map was classified into 6 different classes, namely: Very high suitability, High suitability, Moderate suitability, Low suitability, Very low suitability and Exclusion areas, which 53.88%, 24.08%, 0.15%, 0%, 0% and 21.89% are respectively the percentages of their area occupation. According to the performed investigations, the most significant criteria that should be considered include: The Global Horizontal Irradiation, Slope, Temperature and Slope orientation. The obtained map was then compared to the existing solar farms, and show that all the existing projects are located within areas classified as highly suitable.

A Comprehensive Resource Assessment for Wind Power Generation on the Rural Island of Sibuyan, Philippines

“…Integrating GIS-based and MCDM techniques has become instrumental in spatial analyses, particularly in risk and suitability assessments for renewable energy projects like solar and wind. Numerous MCDM methods, including AHP [8,9,11,15,28,49,[57][58][59], fuzzy AHP [16,47,60], integrated AHP [36], analytical network process (ANP) [18], decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) [18], adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) [19], density-based clustering [29], best-worst method (BMW) [1], weighted linear combination (WLC) [1,5,8,47,49], data envelopment analysis (DEA) [61], fuzzy complex proportional assessment (COPRAS) [61], preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluations (PROMETHEE II) [15], and spatial decision support system (SDSS) [4], have been applied in wind power resource assessments. Among these, AHP stands out as a robust and widely utilized technique due to its simplicity and effectiveness in solving complex decision problems within specific case studies.…”

Suitability Analysis Using GIS-Based Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for Solar Power Exploration

“…For instance, there is potential for variations in national regulations concerning the categorization of settlements (urban versus rural) [80] and limitations on construction within risk areas. Studies should also incorporate additional criteria and parameters, such as wind speed [78], average annual precipitation [81], distance to wildlife [23,82], distance from the airport [28], aspect [83], land surface temperature [4], as well as other relevant factors based on the specific site's applicability. Furthermore, alternative methodologies have been developed when considering prioritizing factors.…”

“…By analyzing the pertinent parameters for installing solar power plants and assessing their relative significance, GIS technology can accurately identify optimal areas for efficient and cost-effective energy production [2]. It enables the analysis and visualization of spatial data, allowing users to assess various factors and criteria to identify suitable locations for specific purposes, such as site selection for different projects or initiatives [1, [26][27][28].…”

An approach for selecting optimal locations for electric vehicle solar charging stations

“…Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods provide a structured and systematic approach to handle conflicting criteria and make informed decisions. The literature review identified 33 [2,4,[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

“…Greece AHP, TOPSIS [11] Khuzestan AHP, fuzzy Boolean logic [27] Turkey AHP [22,24,[28][29][30][31][32] Morocco AHP [33][34][35] China AHP [36] Israel AHP [37] Algeria AHP, EQual Weighted (EQW), Best Worst Method (BWM) [15,[38][39][40] Peru AHP [41] Afghanistan AHP, ANP [42] Iraq AHP, Boolean AHP [8,43] Iran AHP, fuzzy logic, weighted linear Combination (WLC) [44] Thailand AHP [45] Ethiopia AHP [46] Egypt AHP [47] Ireland AHP [48] Chile AHP, ordered weighted averaging [10] Philippines AHP [25] Tanzania AHP [49] Saudi Arabia AHP [23] T A B L E 3 Summary of studies on EVCS site selection using GIS and AHP.…”