Selection of the best location for solar plants in Turkey

Abstract

The unique properties of solar energy have led to increasing demands in various countries. In order to use solar energy effectively, environmental and geographical circumstances related to solar intensity must be considered. Different factors may affect the selection of suitable locations for solar plants. These factors must be considered concurrently for optimum location identification. This article presents an approach for the location of solar plants by data envelopment analysis (DEA). Efficiency scores over a twelve month period were evaluated by using a modified similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method. This approach was applied to 30 different cities in different regions of Turkey.