Site selection of floating photovoltaic systems on hydropower reservoirs using fuzzy sine trigonometric decision-making model: Turkey as a case study

Floating photovoltaic systems are a promising option for renewable energy by mitigating the drawbacks of land-based photovoltaic systems. However, renewable energy systems are designed in a site-specific way, therefore, the performance of renewable energy alternatives substantially depends on the selected site characteristics. In this study, a comprehensive assessment was performed to identify the optimal hydroelectric power plant reservoir for floating photovoltaic system deployment in Turkey using the Geographical Information System and Multi-Criteria Decision Making method. A two-staged methodology was used to evaluate the results of questionnaires including several expert opinions. In the first stage, a nonlinear fuzzy Aczel-Alsina functions based Ordinal Priority Approach method was employed to weigh the fourteen sub-criteria based on technical, environmental, economic and social considerations. In the second stage, fuzzy sine Trigonometric based Additive Ratio Assessment method was used to rank the fifteen hydroelectric power plant reservoirs all across Turkey. Despite the global horizontal irradiation being the most important criterion, Sarıyar hydroelectric power plant reservoir, with one of the lowest global horizontal irradiation values among alternatives, was determined as the most suitable dam reservoir for floating photovoltaic installation in Turkey. Therefore, the findings of this study highlight the importance of comprehensive analysis that considers the several assessment criteria from fundamental aspects to achieve reliable site selection for floating photovoltaic systems.