Improving decision-making through spatial suitability planning for solar energy exploitation in Al-Madinah Al-Munawara using GIS technology

Abstract

There is an increasing need to enhance the utilization of environmental components as societies develop. Functional integration between ecosystems in urban environments promotes economic, social, and environmental levels for the sake of sustainability. Global and national plans aim to achieve this goal, including reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, which underscores the importance of planning to expand the renewable energy market. Solar energy is currently one of the fastest-growing renewable resources and represents a key strategic option to meet future energy needs. The main objective of this study is to identify suitable locations for building solar power plants in Al-Madinah Al-Munawara, using the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Based on a review of previous literature, criteria were collected and variables determined according to the environmental characteristics similar to the study area. The main findings of the study show that the highest spatial suitability for solar power plant sites was in Al-Awali Municipality, with an area of 25,364 km², followed by Quba Municipality with an area of 11,665 km² of the total study area. On the other hand, Uhud Municipality ranked first in terms of least suitability, with a total unsuitable area of 53,986 km², followed by Quba and Al-Bayda Municipalities with smaller areas relative to the total area of Al-Madinah Al-Munawara. The study recommended conducting further research to identify locations where solar panels, aiming to create a mix of Renewable energy sources and to rationalize the consumption of conventional resources.