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Land Suitability Investigation for Solar Power Plant Using GIS, AHP and Multi-Criteria Decision Approach: A Case of Megacity Kolkata, West Bengal, India

Author

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  • Bijay Halder

    (Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore 721102, India)

  • Papiya Banik

    (Department of Geography, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700019, India)

  • Hussein Almohamad

    (Department of Geography, College of Arabic Language and Social Studies, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia)

  • Ahmed Abdullah Al Dughairi

    (Department of Geography, College of Arabic Language and Social Studies, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia)

  • Motrih Al-Mutiry

    (Department of Geography, College of Arts, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia)

  • Haya Falah Al Shahrani

    (Department of Geography, College of Arabic Language and Social Studies, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia)

  • Hazem Ghassan Abdo

    (Geography Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Tartous, Tartous P.O. Box 2147, Syria
    Geography Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Damascus University, Damascus P.O. Box 30621, Syria
    Geography Department, Arts and Humanities Faculty, Tishreen University, Lattakia P.O. Box 30621, Syria)

Abstract

Renewable energy sources are the most necessitated natural energy to reduce fossil fuels globally. Fossil fuel is the most valuable and limited resource on the planet, but on the other hand, renewable energy creates less pollution. Solar energy is the most effective renewable resource for daily use. Solar power plants are necessary for domestic and daily use. Remote sensing and geographic information technology (GIS) were used for this study to delineate the possible site selection of solar power plants in Kolkata and the surrounding area in West Bengal, India. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the multi-criteria decision-making process (MCDA) were used for each weight calculation and ArcGIS v10.8 was applied for weighted overlay analysis (WOA) for delineation of the result. The site suitability map was developed using a pairwise comparison matrix and the weights were calculated for each criterion. The suitability map was divided into five categories, from not suitable to very highly suitable. A total of 474.21 km 2 (10.69%) of the area was classified as very highly suitable whereas 249.54 km 2 (5.62%) area was classified as not suitable because of the water area and east Kolkata wetland. A total of 1438.15 km 2 (32.43%) of the area was classified as highly suitable for a solar power plant. The Kolkata megacity and water body locations were identified as moderate to not suitable sites. Very high and high-potential sites were identified 2 to 5 km from the central business district (CBD) location, which is Dharmotala. Renewable energy source is needed in the megacity of Kolkata. If solar power plants are contracted then the demand for fossil fuel will be reduced one day, and that will help the environment as well as the society in terms of sustainable development. This study result is helpful for administrators, urban planners, developers, and other stakeholders for the implementation and development of a new solar power plant in the study area.

Suggested Citation

  • Bijay Halder & Papiya Banik & Hussein Almohamad & Ahmed Abdullah Al Dughairi & Motrih Al-Mutiry & Haya Falah Al Shahrani & Hazem Ghassan Abdo, 2022. "Land Suitability Investigation for Solar Power Plant Using GIS, AHP and Multi-Criteria Decision Approach: A Case of Megacity Kolkata, West Bengal, India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-21, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:18:p:11276-:d:910127
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jerome G. Gacu & Junrey D. Garcia & Eddie G. Fetalvero & Merian P. Catajay-Mani & Cris Edward F. Monjardin, 2023. "Suitability Analysis Using GIS-Based Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for Solar Power Exploration," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-28, September.

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