Photovoltaic Site Suitability Analysis using Analytical Hierarchy Process and Sensitivity Analysis Methods with GIS and Remote Sensing in Southern Morocco: Case of Draa-Tafilatet Region

We present the application of geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) data for mapping suitable areas for the photovoltaic (PV) plants in Draa-Tafilatet region - southern of Morocco-. In order to identify the suitability of different regions, 11 defined criteria, including solar radiation, average annual temperatures, distance from power transmission lines, distance from major roads, distance from residential area, built up, slope, aspect agricultural areas, water bodies, streams are identified. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to determine the normalized weight of each parameter. In addition, the work also utilized sensitivity analysis (SA) to calculate the effective weight of each individual parameter used in this research. Based on these effects and variation indices of the said parameters, new effective weights were determined and were used to create PV site suitability. The AHP Method demonstrated that the insolation, slope, aspect factors has a high importance in the suitability PV site, other factors like agricultural areas, built up and water bodies considered as exclusion parameters and shows a moderate importance, finally parameters like distance from power lines and cities considered as weak factors. Final results showed that the map offers a PV farms that cover 3% equivalent to 113 280 Ha of the total surface.