Identification of suitable sites for large‐scale photovoltaic installations through a geographic information system and analytical hierarchy process combination: A case study in Marrakesh‐Safi region, Morocco

Abstract

AbstractIn this paper, an assessment of the large‐scale photovoltaic (PV) potential in the region of Marrakesh‐Safi, Morocco, has been carried out. Considering the significant solar resources that the country possesses, the purpose of this investigation was to highlight suitable sites for a PV power plant. To this end, multicriteria decision making (MCDM) analysis and geographic information system (GIS) tools were combined. Several criteria were taken into account, namely, the constraints related to the system installation and environmental conditions. To the best of our knowledge, no study has considered the wind speed as a criterion for PV site selection. Such a criterion has a cooling effect on the technology itself and also affects the stability of the PV panel mounting system. Results reveal that 74% of the study area was considered suitable to host PV power plants. An analytical hierarchy process (AHP) analysis was conducted to evaluate the adopted criteria and a ranking map was generated for the appropriate surface using GIS tools. Results demonstrate that 24.3% of the suitable area was qualified as highly suitable according to calculations. These findings help stakeholders to select the highest ranked sites, ensuring a high score from a technical and economic point of view.