Optimal siting of solar desalination plants in Crete, Greece employing a GIS/MCDM approach

I. Keroglou and T. Tsoutsos

Renewable Energy, 2024, vol. 224, issue C

Abstract: Water scarcity, amongst the crucial consequences of climate change, leads to more and more dry areas, causing various socio-economic problems, while water demands are higher than ever. To address this challenge, the scientific community turns to alternative energy sources combined with desalination systems. In light of everything mentioned above, this study developed a methodology for the site suitability of solar desalination plants on the island of Crete, Greece. A multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach was used to evaluate a diversity of criteria selected as the most suitable for the spatial planning of solar desalination plants, while GIS was applied to produce the dynamic maps. After the definition of the exclusion areas, followed the classification of the evaluation criteria in a suitability scale from the least suitable to the most appropriate areas. To determine the relative importance of the evaluation criteria, a weighted analysis was taking place by assuming several scenarios. Finally, GIS was exploited to produce the suitability maps. The adoption of the above methodology provided crucial outcomes, valuable for the decision-making process of governors, policymakers, engineers and researchers, especially during the discussion with local communities, which are to be affected directly.

Keywords: Solar desalination; GIS; Multi-criteria analysis; Optimal siting (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:224:y:2024:i:c:s0960148124002337

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.120168

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