GIS-Based Assessment of the Technical and Economic Feasibility of Utility-Scale Solar PV Plants: Case Study in West Kalimantan Province

Alfeus Sunarso,Kunhali Ibrahim-Bathis,Harold S Ruiz,Sakti A Murti,Irwan Budiarto

doi:10.3390/su12156283

Alfeus Sunarso, Kunhali Ibrahim-Bathis + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12156283

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Abstract

This paper presents a technical and economic feasibility assessment of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) plants in the West Kalimantan Province of Borneo, which is essential for boosting the development of solar PV plants in Indonesia. The assessment was performed based on a previously developed geographical information systems (GIS) package that integrates satellite-derived data of solar irradiation with locally obtained data such as land usage, topography, road lines, and an electrical network. For the evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility, annual energy production and electrical cost were calculated using an analysis tool that was integrated into a GIS package. The results show that more than 93% of the exploitable land that covers the area of 49,859 km2 is available for the development of solar PV plants, with an annual energy production higher than 180 GWh/km2 and an electricity cost lower than 0.05 USD/kWh, indicating the attractiveness of utility-scale solar PV plant development in West Kalimantan Province. A further detailed assessment of optimal sites shows that the selected sites are technically and economically feasible for the development of utility-scale solar PV plants. The approaches and results of this research should be valuable for energy planners, developers, and policy makers to set the strategies for promoting the development of utility-scale solar PV plants in pro of the sustainable development of Indonesia.

Highlights

Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all is one of the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations (UN), with the specific goal to substantially increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030 [1]
These techniques have been shown to be highly successful in the integration of economic factors for suitability studies of the large-scale development and utilization of solar energy resources, where optimal locations can be found by using geographical information systems (GIS), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and multi-decision-criteria analysis (MDCA) techniques adapted to the specific conditions of countries such as China [17,18,19], where it has been recently found that the province of Xinjiang is the most optimal site for large-scale photovoltaic station construction according to their calculated Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) [20], or the positive LCOE trends found at the sovereign state of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, which indicates that large-scale photovoltaics in this region is a viable alternative for meeting their future electricity demand [21]
For the general assessment of technical and economic feasibility, the maps of annual energy production and the cost of electricity for West Kalimantan Province are shown in Figure 2, in which the colors represent the level of annual energy production or the electricity cost

Summary

Introduction

Reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all is one of the sustainable development goals set by the United Nations (UN), with the specific goal to substantially increase the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix by 2030 [1]. This paper provides a detailed feasibility study capable of reducing some of the largest technical and economic barriers in the practical development of utility-scale PV plants

Feasibility and Assessment Framework

Economic Assessment Factors

Feasibility of PV Plants at West Kalimantan Province

Feasibility of PV Plants at Selected Sites

Conclusions