Abstract
Selection of suitable sites for solar power plants requires spatial evaluation taking technical, economic, and environmental considerations into account. This research has applied a fuzzy logic model to carry out spatial site selection for solar power plants in Markazi Province of Iran. Geographical Information System (GIS) capabilities have been used for spatial analysis and visualization of the research results. The suitable areas for solar power plants installation were identified by employing Boolean logic and defining a range of selection criteria all of which were evaluated by fuzzy functions. The raster layers of Boolean and fuzzy logic have been combined to come up with suitable sites with solar energy potential. The results identified some areas in the vicinity of Mahalat and Zarandineh cities as suitable for solar energy utilization. The research also validated the employed combined method as a suitable site selection approach for solar power plants.
Highlights
Solar energy is one of the most promising renewables because it is considered a consistent source of energy that is not significantly vulnerable to seasonal weather patterns changes [1]
Solar energy can be exploited through the solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technologies for various applications
Since the present study aims to preserve environmental resources and reduce damage to the environment, it excludes the protected areas and sensitive plant species from the selected sites for solarpower power plants (SPPs)
Summary
Solar energy is one of the most promising renewables because it is considered a consistent source of energy that is not significantly vulnerable to seasonal weather patterns changes [1]. The output efficiency of solar technologies has been increasing in recent years and the ability to utilize them in a variety of locations is very favorable [2]. The demand for solar energy is increasing worldwide as countries are following steps for sustainable development and CO2 emissions reduction [3]. Solar energy can be exploited through the solar photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal technologies for various applications. Solar radiation can be converted directly into electricity by using photovoltaic (PV) technology, which is one of the potential methods that offer clean and renewable energy. Compared to CO2 emissions from coal combustion which amounts to 975 g per kilowatt-hour (kWh), the emissions from using PV is about
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