An Integrated GIS-Based ANP Analysis for Selecting Solar Farm Installation Locations: Case Study in Cumra Region, Turkey

Abstract

With the depletion of traditional energy sources, which are defined as fossil fuels, the importance of renewable energy sources has increased even more. Renewable energy is a sustainable energy source that can be reproduced with the use of existing resources and has almost no harm to the environment. Solar energy is one of the leading types of energy among sustainable energy sources and is an inexhaustible source of energy for humanity that can be used for generations. Selecting an appropriate site for the installation of solar power plants is an important decision that increases the efficiency of a solar farm. In order to minimize the negative environmental, economic and social effects in the solar farm location studies, all criteria affecting the study should be taken into consideration. This study presents the application of combining analytical network process, which is one of the multi-criteria evaluation methods, with GIS, in order to determine the most suitable locations for solar power plants in Cumra Region, Konya, Turkey. Six main criteria have been defined for the most suitable site selection in this area. Criteria maps were prepared using the GIS software and weight values determined from analytical network process and combined for the site suitability map. Suitability map was divided into three categories as low, moderate and high suitable by using an equidistant classification method.