Multicriteria decision support for sustainable energy planning: an evaluation of alternative scenarios for the solar power plant site selection

Abstract Solar energy is a renewable source that is suitable for local applications due to its low operating costs, its environmentally friendly structure, its simpler technology infrastructure, and its clean and inexhaustible supply. In Türkiye, the installation of solar power plants (SPP) is increasing in direct proportion to the demand for renewable energy. Within this scope, the site selection problem is vital in order to effectively solve the energy problems, minimize the existing costs, and ensure sustainability. The final decision of the SPP location selection involves numerous subjective and objective evaluation factors, making it a challenging and complex decision-making process. In this study, a new integrated model is introduced that combines fuzzy set theory, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), geographic information systems (GIS), and information axiom methods to address the SPP site selection problems. In this paper, an application has been presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed model. In the context of this study, the most suitable location for a solar power plant (SPP) was identified among six different provinces in Türkiye (Erzurum, Kayseri, Mersin, Mugla, Sanliurfa, and Van) by considering both quantitative and qualitative criteria. These provinces have different characteristics and are located in different regions of Türkiye. The result of this investigation was that Mersin was determined to be the most appropriate location for the SPP. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis has been performed in order to examine the impact of the weights of the evaluation criteria on the results of the application.