Determination of solar power plant (SPP) settlements by multi- criterative decision analysis methods: Kastamonu province example

Abstract

The need for energy is constantly increasing in direct proportion to the continuous population growth, industrialization and developing technologies in today's world. In addition to the harmful effects of fossil resources on the environment, the possibility of extinction is high in the future. Research and development of new energy resources that can replace these fossil resources is of great importance. The use of alternative, efficient and clean energy sources makes a great contribution both in the economic and environmental fields. Solar energy is one of the most important renewable energy sources. The sun, the world's most basic energy source, is also a sustainable and inexhaustible source of energy. Solar energy has a wide range of applications such as water heating, heating systems, electricity generation. Solar Power Plants (SPP) are systems that convert the rays from the sun into electrical energy with the help of solar panels. After the rays coming to the solar panels are converted into energy, they can be stored in solar cells or batteries. This provides a great advantage in terms of energy efficiency and savings. Türkiye is a country with high solar energy potential due to its geographical location. This potential has significantly increased the share of solar energy in energy production in recent years. The choice of location for the installation of the SPP is very important. In this study, it is aimed to determine the suitable places for SPP installation in Kastamonu Province (Türkiye) by using multi-criteria decision making methods (MCDM). Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to weight the determined topographical, economic and environmental criteria and to evaluate possible installation sites. As a result of the analyzes obtained, it was determined that the study area was at the medium sensitivity level for the SPP installation