Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis‐Based Solutions for the Installation of Photovoltaic (<scp>PV</scp>) Solar Power Plants in an Energy Deficit State of India: An Effort Toward <scp>SDG</scp>‐7 (Affordable and Sustainable Energy)

ABSTRACT Sustainable Development Goal‐7 (SDG‐7) of the United Nations promotes the use of renewable and affordable energy. Solar energy holds significant promise as an effective and affordable renewable source in tropical countries. GIS‐based Multi‐Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach has been applied to evaluate land suitability for installing ground‐mounted and grid‐connected solar photovoltaic power plants in Purulia district of West Bengal (India) to satisfy the growing demand of energy in an eco‐friendly manner. The study reveals that variation in Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) is the most relevant parameter for installing solar PV power plants in the district among the 13 physical parameters, followed by the aspect, slope, and proximity to the grid. The site‐suitable map created using the weights of these factors has revealed that about 33.4% of the district's total land area is ideal for installing solar PV power plants, with most of these areas being in the western and central regions.