Abstract
Currently, coal, oil and natural gas are mainly used for energy in most countries. These sources, called fossil fuels, are not renewable. Fossil fuels are limited, and their reserves are steadily decreasing. This situation causes the prices to rise constantly. On the contrary, renewable energy is clean, economical and unlimited. Turkey has a very high potential for renewable energy, and the Turkish government has made significant reforms for solar energy investments over the last decade. Site selection for solar power plants is a critical issue for large investments because of quality of terrain, local weathering factors, proximity to high transmission capacity lines, agricultural facilities and environmental conservation issues. Multi-criteria evaluation is a tool that allows one to choose the best criterion among multiple and offer a structure with a wide range of applications. In this paper, the ideal locations for solar power plant were selected using the geographic information system and analytic hierarchy process which is one of the multi-criteria evaluation methods. The resulting land suitability was grouped into three categories: low suitable, suitable and best suitable using an equal interval classification method. Consequently, 15,550 ha or 6.23% of the evaluated region was determined as the best suited areas for solar power plants.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Akat SB (2015) Renewable energy in Turkey. http://better-project.net/sites/default/files/Renewable%20Energy%20in%20Turkey_Directorate%20General%20for%20Renewable%20Energy.pdf. Accessed 28 May 2016
Aragonés-Beltrán P, Chaparro-González F, Pastor-Ferrando JP, Pla-Rubio A (2014) An AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process)/ANP (Analytic Network Process)-based multi-criteria decision approach for the selection of solar-thermal power plant investment projects. Energy 66:222–238. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2013.12.016
Aydin NY, Kentel E, Duzgun S (2010) GIS-based environmental assessment of wind energy systems for spatial planning: a case study from Western Turkey. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 14(1):364–373. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2009.07.023
Aydin NY, Kentel E, Duzgun HS (2013) GIS-based site selection methodology for hybrid renewable energy systems: a case study from western Turkey. Energy Convers Manag 70:90–106. doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2013.02.004
Beskese A, Demir HH, Ozcan HK, Okten HE (2015) Landfill site selection using fuzzy AHP and fuzzy TOPSIS: a case study for Istanbul. Environ Earth Sci 73(7):3513–3521. doi:10.1007/s12665-014-3635-5
Bian T, Hu J, Deng Y (2017) Identifying influential nodes in complex networks based on AHP. Physica A Stat Mech Appl 479:422–436. doi:10.1016/j.physa.2017.02.085
Carrion JA, Estrella AE, Dols FA, Toro MZ, Rodríguez M, Ridao AR (2008) Environmental decision-support systems for evaluating the carrying capacity of land areas: Optimal site selection for grid-connected photovoltaic power plants. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 12(9):2358–2380. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2007.06.011
Carroquino J, Dufo-Lopez R, Bernal-Agustin JL (2015) Sizing of off-grid renewable energy systems for drip irrigation in Mediterranean crops. Renew Energy 76:566–574. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2014.11.069
Chakraborty S, Banik D (2006) Design of a material handling equipment selection model using analytic hierarchy process. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 28:1237–1245. doi:10.1007/s00170-004-2467-y
Charabi Y, Gastli A (2011) PV site suitability analysis using GIS-based spatial fuzzy multi-criteria evaluation. Renew Energy 36(9):2554–2561. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2010.10.037
Cuirong W, Zhaoping Y, Huaxian L, Fang H, Wenjin X (2016) Campgrounds suitability evaluation using gis-based multiple criteria decision analysis: a case study of Kuerdening, China. Open Geosci 8(1):289–301. doi:10.1515/geo-2016-0028
Dagdougui H, Ouammi A, Sacile R (2011) A regional decision support system for onsite renewable hydrogen production from solar and wind energy sources. Int J Hydrogen Energy 36(22):14324–14334. doi:10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.08.050
Feizizadeh B, Roodposhti MS, Jankowski P, Blaschke T (2014) A GIS-based extended fuzzy multi-criteria evaluation for landslide susceptibility mapping. Comput Geosci 73:208–221. doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2014.08.001
Hadipour A, Vafaie F, Hadipour V (2015) Land suitability evaluation for brackish water aquaculture development in coastal area of Hormozgan, Iran. Aquac Int 23(1):329–343. doi:10.1007/s10499-014-9818-y
Hadmoko DS, Lavigne F, Samodra G (2017) Application of a semiquantitative and GIS-based statistical model to landslide susceptibility zonation in Kayangan Catchment, Java, Indonesia. Nat Hazards 87(1):437–468. doi:10.1007/s11069-017-2772-z
Hoornweg D, Pope K (2016) Population predictions for the world’s largest cities in the 21st century. Environ Urban 29(1):195–216. doi:10.1177/0956247816663557
Janke JR (2010) Multicriteria GIS modeling of wind and solar farms in Colorado. Renew Energy 35:2228–2234. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2010.03.014
Latinopoulos D, Kechagia K (2015) A GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation for wind farm site selection. A regional scale application in Greece. Renew Energy 78:550–560. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2015.01.041
Liu HC, You JX, Chen YZ, Fan XJ (2014) Site selection in municipal solid waste management with extended VIKOR method under fuzzy environment. Environ Earth Sci 72(10):4179–4189. doi:10.1007/s12665-014-3314-6
Lozano JMS, Solano JT, Elvira PLS, Cascales MSG (2013) Geographical information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods for the evaluation of solar farms locations: case study in south-eastern Spain. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 24:544–556. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2013.03.019
Mahmoud SH (2014) Delineation of potential sites for groundwater recharge using a GIS-based decision support system. Environ Earth Sci 72(9):3429–3442. doi:10.1007/s12665-014-3249-y
Micael J, Costa AC, Aguiar P, Medeiros A, Calado H (2015) Geographic information system in a multi-criteria tool for mariculture site selection. Coast Manag 43(1):52–66. doi:10.1080/08920753.2014.985178
Minelli A, Marchesini I, Taylor FE, De Rosa P, Casagrande L, Cenci M (2014) An open source GIS tool to quantify the visual impact of wind turbines and photovoltaic panels. Environ Impact Assess Rev 49:70–78. doi:10.1016/j.eiar.2014.07.002
Mondino EB, Fabrizio E, Chiabrando R (2015) Site selection of large ground-mounted photovoltaic plants: a GIS decision support system and an application to Italy. Int J Green Energy 12(5):515–525. doi:10.1080/15435075.2013.858047
Nguyen HT, Pearce JM (2010) Estimating potential photovoltaic yield with r.sun and the open source geographical resources analysis support system. Sol Energy 84(5):831–843. doi:10.1016/j.solener.2010.02.009
Noorollahi E, Fadai D, Akbarpour Shirazi M, Ghodsipour SH (2016) Land suitability analysis for solar farms exploitation using GIS and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP)—a case study of Iran. Energies 9(8):643. doi:10.3390/en9080643
PWC (2015) Turkey’s renewable energy sector from a global perspective. https://www.pwc.com.tr/tr_TR/tr/publications/industrial/energy/assets/Renewable-report-11-April-2012.pdf. Accessed 22 May 2016
Rahimi S, Roodposhti MS, Abbaspour RA (2014) Using combined AHP-genetic algorithm in artificial groundwater recharge site selection of Gareh Bygone Plain, Iran. Environ Earth Sci 72(6):1979–1992. doi:10.1007/s12665-014-3109-9
Rosén L, Back P, Söderqvist T, Norrman J, Brinkhoff P, Norberg T, Volchko Y, Norin M, Bergknut M, Döberl G (2015) SCORE: a novel multi-criteria decision analysis approach to assessing the sustainability of contaminated land remediation. Sci Total Environ 511:621–638. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.058
Saaty TL (1980) The analytic hierarchy process. McGraw-Hill, New York
San Cristóbal JR (2011) Multi-criteria decision-making in the selection of a renewable energy project in Spain: The Vikor method. Renew Energy 36(2):498–502. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2010.07.031
Sánchez-Lozano JM, Teruel-Solano J, Soto-Elvira PL, García-Cascales MS (2013) Geographical information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods for the evaluation of solar farms locations: case study in south-eastern Spain. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 24:544–556. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2013.03.019
Sánchez-Lozano JM, Antunes CH, García-Cascales MS, Dias LC (2014) GIS-based photovoltaic solar farms site selection using ELECTRE-TRI: evaluating the case for Torre Pacheco, Murcia, Southeast of Spain. Renew Energy 66:478–494. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2013.12.038
Satkin M, Noorollahi Y, Abbaspour M, Yousefi H (2014) Multi criteria site selection model for wind-compressed air energy storage power plants in Iran. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 32:579–590. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2014.01.054
Sindhu S, Nehra V, Luthra S (2017) Investigation of feasibility study of solar farms deployment using hybrid AHP-TOPSIS analysis: case study of India. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 73:496–511. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2017.01.135
Tegou LI, Polatidis H, Haralambopoulos DA (2010) Environmental management framework for wind farm siting: methodology and case study. J Environ Manag 91(11):2134–2147. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.05.010
Uyan M (2013) GIS-based solar farms site selection using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in Karapinar region, Konya/Turkey. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 28:11–17. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2013.07.042
Van Haaren R, Fthenakis V (2011) GIS-based wind farm site selection using spatial multi-criteria analysis (SMCA): evaluating the case for New York State. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 15:3332–3340. doi:10.1016/j.rser.2011.04.010
Wu Y, Geng S (2014) Multi-criteria decision making on selection of solar-wind hybrid power station location: a case of China. Energy Convers Manag 81:527–533. doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2014.02.056
Wu YN, Geng S, Zhang HB, Gao M (2014) Decision framework of solar thermal power plant site selection based on linguistic Choquet operator. Appl Energy 136:303–311. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2014.09.032
YEGM (2015) Solar energy potential atlas of Karaman. General Directorate of Renewable Energy. http://www.eie.gov.tr/MyCalculator/pages/70.aspx. Accessed 12 Apr 2016
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Uyan, M. Optimal site selection for solar power plants using multi-criteria evaluation: A case study from the Ayranci region in Karaman, Turkey. Clean Techn Environ Policy 19, 2231–2244 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-017-1405-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-017-1405-2