GIS-Based Multi-Criteria Analysis for Solar Energy Cells Site Selection Over Kirkuk City

Year 2026, Volume: 10 Issue: 1 , 267 - 282 , 16.12.2025

Ghadah Mohammed Hassan , Khalil Valizadeh Kamran , Abolfazl Ghanbari , Qayssar Ajaj

https://doi.org/10.31127/tuje.1800036

https://izlik.org/JA85KF84LH

Abstract

One of the crucial stages in the process of development of a solar energy system is its location, which guarantees maximum energy yield and minimum expenditures, and environmental sustainability. In this study, a GIS-based Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was applied to evaluate land suitability for large-scale photovoltaic deployment in Kirkuk, Iraq. Nine spatial and environmental factors—including solar irradiance, wind speed, land use, elevation, slope, soil type, population density, and distance from roads and power lines—were integrated through a weighted overlay method informed by expert judgment. The results indicate substantial spatial variation in suitability. Approximately 40% of the study area was classified as moderately suitable, 20% as highly suitable, and 30% as unsuitable due to environmental or infrastructural constraints. The most promising zones were concentrated in the central and northern parts of Kirkuk, where irradiance and terrain conditions align favorably. This hybrid GIS–AHP approach highlights the importance of combining technical, environmental, and socio-economic considerations in energy planning. Compared with conventional GIS overlays, the inclusion of AHP weighting enhanced methodological rigor and produced more accurate and context-specific outcomes. The findings not only provide a clear framework for solar energy development in Kirkuk but also contribute to broader regional planning, offering an adaptable model for other Middle Eastern contexts where renewable energy infrastructure is a growing priority.

Keywords

GIS , Multi-Criteria Decision , Renewable energy , Solar energy

References

• Valizadeh Kamran, K., & Khorrami, B. (2016). Land suitability assessment for locating solar farms applying GIS. Proceedings of the International Conference on Architecture, Urbanism, Civil Engineering, Art, Environment, Tehran, Iran.
• Khazael, S. M., & Al-Bakri, M. (2021). The Optimum Site Selection for Solar Energy Farms using AHP in GIS Environment: A Case Study of Iraq. Iraqi Journal of Science, 62(11), 4571–4587. https://doi.org/10.24996/ijs.2021.62.11(SI).36
• Nwaigwe, K. N., Mutabilwa, P., & Dintwa, E. (2019). An overview of solar power (PV systems) integration into electricity grids. Materials Science for Energy Technologies, 2(3), 629–633. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mset.2019.07.002
• Ravi Kumar, K., Krishna Chaitanya, N. V. V., & Sendhil Kumar, N. (2021). Solar thermal energy technologies and its applications for process heating and power generation – A review. Journal of Cleaner Production, 282, 125296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.125296
• Cillari, G., Fantozzi, F., & Franco, A. (2021). Passive solar solutions for buildings: Criteria and guidelines for a synergistic design. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 11(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11010376
• Martínez Martínez, Y., Dewulf, J., & CasasLedón, Y. (2022). GIS-based site suitability analysis and ecosystem services approach for supporting renewable energy development in South Central Chile. Renewable Energy, 182, 363–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.10.008
• Kasaeian, A., Nouri, G., Ranjbaran, P., & Wen, D. (2018). Solar collectors and photovoltaics as combined heat and power systems: A critical review. Energy Conversion and Management, 156, 688–705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2017.11.064
• Jamshidi, S., Pourhossein, K., & Asadi, M. (2019). A new decision framework for hybrid solar and wind power plant site selection using multicriteria decision-making methods. Energy Conversion and Management, 185, 362–373.
• Rezaei, J. (2015). Best–Worst multicriteria decision-making method. Omega, 53, 49–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.omega.2014.11.009
• Rikalovic, A., Cosic, I., & Lazarevic, D. (2014). GIS-based multicriteria analysis for industrial site selection. Procedia Engineering, 69, 1054–1063
• Gavade, S. (2014). Multicriteria decision making: A review of applications for renewable energy plant siting. International Journal of Engineering Research
• Masoudi, M., Centeri, C., Jakab, G., Nel, L., & Mojtahedi, M. (2021). Spatial multicriteria decision analysis tool suite for consensus modelling of renewable energy projects. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 148, 111268.
• Fombuwing, Blaise, & Tekbıyık Ersoy, Neyre. “Modeling Electricity Generation and Consumption in Cameroon.” Turkish Journal of Engineering, vol. 8, no. 4, October 2024, pp. 593-602. DOI: 10.31127/tuje.1440376.
• Saleh, N. M., Saleh, A. M., Hasan, R. A., & Mahdi, H. H. (2022). The Renewable, Sustainable, and Clean Energy in Iraq Between Reality and Ambition According to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data, 36–43. https://doi.org/10.58496/mjbd/2022/005
• Y. Al-Douri and F. M. Abed, “Solar energy status in Iraq: Abundant or not - Steps forward,” J. Renew. Sustain. Energy, vol. 8, no. 2, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4947076
• Khalifa AN. Evaluation of different hybrid power scenarios to Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination units in isolated areas in Iraq. Energy for Sustainable Development 2011:1–6
• Kazem, H. A., & Chaichan, M. T. (2012). Status and future prospects of renewable energy in Iraq. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 16(8), 6007–6012. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.03.058
• Kalaf, A. A., Alyozbaky, O. S., & Alghannam, A. I. (2021). A modern technique to manage energy profile in Iraq: Virtual power plant (VPP). Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1973(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1973/1/012078
• AlKayiem, H. H., Aja, O. C., & Jabbar, A. (2020). Potential of renewable energy resources with an emphasis on solar power in Iraq: An outlook. Resources, 8(1), 1–20.
• Jassim, H. M. (2018). Renewable energy in Iraq: Challenges and opportunities. Iraqi Journal of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, 14(2), 45–53
• AlShamkhi, D. M. H., AlSahlani, A., & Eidan, A. A. (2017). Measurements of wind and solar energies in Najaf, Iraq. Journal of Engineering, 23(7), 5–12
• Şenol, H. İ., Kaya, Y., Yiğit, A. Y., & Yakar, M. (2024). Extraction and geospatial analysis of the Hersek Lagoon shoreline with Sentinel-2 satellite data. Survey Review, 56(397), 367-382.
• Al-Shammari, Z. W. J., Azizan, M. M., & Rahman, A. S. F. (2020). Feasibility analysis of a hybrid system for a health clinic in a rural area south-eastern Iraq. In M. A. A. Rahman, A. R. M. Shariff, & N. S. S. Rani (Eds.), Unmanned Systems for Healthcare (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, Vol. 657, pp. 3–16). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-5285-4_1
• Al-Shammari, Z. W. J., Azizan, M. M., & Rahman, A. S. F. (2020). Feasibility analysis of a hybrid system for a health clinic in a rural area south-eastern Iraq. In Proceedings of the 11th National Technical Seminar on Unmanned System Technology (Vol. 666, pp. 1193–1202). Springer.
• A. Demirtop and O. Sevli, “Wind speed prediction using LSTM and ARIMA time series analysis models: A case study of Gelibolu,” Turkish Journal of Engineering, vol. 8, no. 3, pp. 524-536, Jul. 2024. doi:10.31127/tuje.1431629
• R. Jain, S. K. Singh, D. Palaniappan, K. Parmar, and P. T, “Data-Driven Civil Engineering: Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning,” Turkish Journal of Engineering, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 354-377, 2025, doi:10.31127/tuje.1581564.
• Yakar, M. (2011). Using close range photogrammetry to measure the position of inaccessible geological features. Experimental Techniques, 35(1), 54-59.
• Xie, P., Zhang, J., & Li, S. (2021). Effects of wind speed on the structural stability and power output of photovoltaic systems. Renewable Energy, 170, 1339–1350.
• R. Jain, S. K. Singh, D. Palaniappan, K. Parmar, and P. T, “Data-Driven Civil Engineering: Applications of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Deep Learning,” Turkish Journal of Engineering, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 354-377, 2025, doi:10.31127/tuje.1581564
• Blanco, M., Santillán, O., & Domínguez, S. (2019). Assessing the influence of global horizontal irradiance on photovoltaic system performance. Renewable Energy, 133, 124–135.
• López, X., Carrión, A., & Franco, J. (2020). Land-use conflicts and sustainability in solar project site selection. Renewable Energy, 146, 2044–2053.
• Kalogirou, S. A. (2009). Solar Energy Engineering: Processes and Systems (2nd ed.). Academic Press.
• Kareem, M. A., Yacob, N., & Ibrahim, A. (2020). Influence of slope and orientation on the performance and installation cost of photovoltaic panels. Solar Energy, 203, 29–40
• García-Cascales, M. S., Sánchez-Lozano, J. M., & Lamata, M. T. (2018). Optimal site selection for solar photovoltaic power plants using GIS-based multicriteria analysis. Renewable Energy, 122, 52–62.
• Niu, Z., Zhang, Y., Ma, L., & Chen, H. (2020). Evaluation of land suitability for renewable energy projects using GIS and analytic hierarchy process. Sustainability, 12(22), 9654.
• Asakereh, A., Soleymani, M., & Sheikhdavoodi, M. J. (2017). A GIS-based Fuzzy-AHP method for the evaluation of solar farms locations: Case study in Khuzestan province, Iran. Solar Energy, 155, 342–353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2017.05.075
• Maurya, A. K., & Kumar, A. (2024). The Role of GIS in the Study of Sustainable Development and Environmental Management. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 6(6), 1–13.
• Unel, F. B., Kusak, L., & Yakar, M. (2023). GeoValueIndex map of public property assets generating via Analytic Hierarchy Process and Geographic Information System for Mass Appraisal: GeoValueIndex. Aestimum, 82, 51-69.
• T. L. Saaty, The Analytic Hierarchy Process. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980.
• Roccati, A., Paliaga, G., Luino, F., Faccini, F., & Turconi, L. (2021). GIS-Based Landslide Susceptibility Mapping for Land Use Planning and Risk Assessment. Land, 10(2), 162
• Yan, Y., Zhang, Y., Sharma, A., & Al-Amri, J. F. (2021). Evaluation of suitability of urban land using GIS technology. Sustainability (Switzerland), 13(19). https://doi.org/10.3390/su131910521
• Shuaibu, J. A., & Kara, C. (2019). Evaluating suitability for sustainable urban growth of Abuja by using MCE and GIS. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 6(7), 68–76. https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2019.07.009