Optimal siting of large photovoltaic solar farms at Basrah governorate, Southern Iraq using hybrid GIS- based Entropy-TOPSIS and AHP-TOPSIS models

• Published in: Renewable energy 2025-03, Vol.241, p.122308, Article 122308
• Main Authors: Al-Abadi, Alaa M., Handhal, Amna M., Abdulhasan, Mustafa A., Ali, Wajdi L., Hassan, J.J., Al Aboodi, Ali H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Basrah; Iraq; MCDM; Solar energy; TOPSIS
• ISSN: 0960-1481
• DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.122308

This study employed the entropy weight method (EWM) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP) with the technique for an order of preference by similarity to ideal solutions (TOPSIS) to identify optimal locations for photovoltaic (PV) solar farms using geographic information systems. Ten siting factors were considered, with solar radiation (PVout) being the most critical. Other key factors included land use/land cover (LULC), elevation, slope, aspect, and proximity to infrastructure and water sources. EWM assigned higher weights to PVout, elevation, slope, and groundwater storage, while AHP prioritized PVout, LULC, aspect, and slope. Ranked outputs from EWM-TOPSIS and AHP-TOPSIS were interpolated using inverse distance weighted (IDW), ordinary kriging (OK), and empirical Bayesian kriging (EBK), with EBK showing slightly higher accuracy. Using EBK, suitability maps classified areas into five levels: very low to very high. Validation against less suitable LULC categories confirmed EWM-TOPSIS as the optimal siting method, revealing that 38 % (4555 km2) of the study area is highly suitable for PV farms. These regions are primarily located in Basrah's southern Al-Fao district and northeastern Shatt Al-Arab district, demonstrating the area's potential for solar energy development.