Assessment of the photovoltaic potential at urban level based on parameterization and multi criteria decision-making (MCDM): A case study and new methodological approach

As an important technology for producing green energy, photovoltaic(PV) power generation can be deployed in various urban scenarios to reduce environmental pollution and promote energy transformation and sustainable development. In this paper, parametric method and multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) are introduced into urban PV potential assessment to improve the accuracy of the assessment. Xinghualing District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, China was selected for the case study. The constructed combination analysis method supports the key phases of the assessment process, including land classification, PV available area calculation and PV technology optimization deployment. The solar radiation receiving capacity of the plots is calculated by using the parameterization method, and a weighting on the four PV criteria of power generation capacity, economic cost, environmental impact and aesthetics is calculated by using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The best PV deployment scheme is determined by TOPSIS. The evaluation results show that the PV potential of Xinghualing District is 2790.5GWh per year, and the plot type with the highest power generation potential is multi-storey residential, which reaches 635.9GWh per year. The PV potential of the high-rise buildings lies more in their facade. The area with the highest PV potential in the region is located in the southwest, with dense buildings and of complex function. The proposed method in the case study takes into account the different requirements of different plots and building skins for the PV deployment, which improves the accuracy of the assessment. The research provides methods and theoretical support for establishing a widely accepted and promotable urban photovoltaic potential precise prediction model.