Abstract
Brazil has one of the highest percentages of solar radiation in the world and which it is a favorable condition to generate electricity using solar photovoltaic systems. The construction of photovoltaic plants depends on the site selection that influences the electricity generation capacity and the socio-economic benefits that can be derived from it in the future. This article proposes to combine Spatial analysis that involves the acquisition and management of spatial data using a Geographic Information System (GIS), and the fuzzy multi-criteria AHP-TOPSIS model to identify potential locations for the installation of solar photovoltaic systems in the northeastern region of Brazil, State of Pernambuco. The combination of GIS and fuzzy AHP-TOPSIS offers the user the possibility of assigning merit categories to the mapping according to multiple assessment criteria. The GIS include factors of the restrictions and criteria. The restrictions are inserted into the GIS using layers defined from current legislation (urban areas, undeveloped land, community sites, infrastructure, etc.), which reduce the study area by eliminating zones in which PV installation is not permitted. The results show that 22 and 40% of the area of the state of Pernambuco has the very high and high potential, respectively, for the implantation of PV.
Highlights
A country’s economic and social development is directly linked to its energy production
The hierarchical decision data were constructed based on the literature and following discussions with specialists in the area regarding the specificity of the region
The results show that the choice of restrictive criteria, variables, and their weightings play a critical role in estimating the potential for solar energy plants, especially with regard to the assessment of site fitness
Summary
A country’s economic and social development is directly linked to its energy production. The more a country develops, the greater its need for energy, and these costs will directly impact its economy. Because of growing concern for the environment due to the use of fossil fuels since the industrial revolution, renewable sources have begun to play an important role in the diversification of the global energy matrix, contributing to sustainable development. Its national energy matrix is diversified, with more than half being composed of hydroelectric plants (ABSOLAR, 2019). Because it is highly dependent on rainfall, the cost of energy generation increases during the dry season, as thermoelectric plants come on line, with much higher operating costs, directly impacting the cost to consumers
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