Site Suitability Analysis for Solar Power Plant Establishment Using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods (Case Study: Arid Region of Sistan)

Identification of suitable sites for solar power plant establishment in arid regions is very important for using high potential solar energy. This study aimed to identify more important factors influencing site selection for solar power plant establishment and to determine highly suitable sites to establish solar power plants in Sistan region. Influencing factors on site selection were selected based on experts’ opinion using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with regard to climatic, geographic, socio-economic and environmental variables. Paired comparison of criteria and sub-criteria was performed using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process to determine the weight of each criteria. After preparing of the layers of criteria using GIS teqhniques, weights of criteria were multiplied in their corresponding layer. Finally, site suitability map for solar power plant establishment in Sistan region was prepared at five classes through overlaying of layers. Based on results, 4.8 percent of Sistan region, which is located in the southern part of Zahak and Hamoun cities and eastern parts of Nimrouz city, has an excellent suitability for solar power plants establishment. In addition, 36.6% of the study area has a good suitability, 0.5% has a moderate suitability and 18%, which is located in Bandan and Sefidabeh areas, has a poor suitability for solar power plants. Furthermore, sunny hours, temperature and elevation parameters because of having more weight, were identified as the most important criteria. Results indicated that about 45% of Sistan region has high suitability for solar power plants establishment. Therefore, the investment risk of the solar power plants in Sistan region is low. Maximum utilization of solar energy can provide a favorable condition for economic development and increasing the survival of people in Sistan region.