Optimal Land Suitability Based on GIS Tools for Solar PV Farms

Currently, the energy policy in Algeria emphasizes the diversification of energy sources and encourages the penetration of other sources such as solar energy in the energy mix, in order to gradually minimize the use of conventional energies and to ensure their exploitation for other decades. However, massive development of solar PV power plants and their efficiency depend essentially on the degree of compliance with technical criteria, such as the choice of the site where the plant to be installed. The evaluation of site-suitability is then considered a complex task, where multiple criteria inherent to the territory, are involved. This paper gives a state of the art of optimal land suitability for PV farms, based on GIS techniques. Several criteria were reviewed for optimal site selection. The limiting factors that hinder the installation of large-scale power plants have also been indicated.