Site selection for solar energy systems as a renewable energy source

Sustainability and renewable energy sources are the most important topics of last decades. The selection of appropriate sites for solar power plant installation plays a crucial role in maximizing energy production efficiency. While the literature predominantly focuses on site selection for ground-based installations, research on rooftop applications is limited. This study explores the use of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods for selecting suitable locations for solar power plants on rooftops. Key criteria considered in this study include annual solar radiation, panel orientation (aspect), ambient temperature, sunshine duration and total energy potential, wind potential, long-term shading risk, on-site electricity consumption (self-consumption), rooftop area, structural load capacity, roof type and slope, as well as transformer capacity and grid connection status. In this context, the conditions affecting the installation of solar panels on roofs were analyzed and it was aimed to integrate these factors into the conformity assessment processes. The findings suggest that the criteria identified for rooftop solar installations could contribute to the development of a decision support system that fills gaps in existing literature and highlights the need for further research in this area.