Assessing Ukrainian Territory Suitability for Solar Power Station Placement Using Satellite Data on Climate and Topography

This research aims to assess the suitability of Ukrainian territories for the placement of solar power stations using satellite data on climate and topographic characteristics. The suitability of the territories was determined using a weighted sum method, incorporating input parameters from climate maps sourced from ERA5-Land dataset, which included data on annual global horizontal solar irradiation (GHI), accumulated annual temperature above $25^{\circ} \mathrm{C}$, average annual wind speed, and maps of accumulated annual precipitation. Additionally, topographic maps from the SRTM dataset were utilized, providing information on elevations, slopes, and terrain shading. Furthermore, data from Wikimapia on the locations of existing major solar power stations in Ukraine were used to verify the placement optimization. The results of the study revealed that the largest portion of the country (over 48%) exhibits moderate suitability scores (0.3-0.4). Favorable territories (suitability score above 0.3) outweigh unsuitable ones for solar power stations. The southern regions and the Crimean Peninsula offer the most favorable conditions for the placement of solar farms. Overall, all analyzed major solar power stations in Ukraine were located in optimal territories. Furthermore, it was found that certain regions such as Odessa, Poltava, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Luhansk demonstrate good suitability scores (0.3-0.4), yet they are not fully exploited. These regions hold significant potential for the future construction of powerful and productive solar power stations.