Evaluation of Site Suitability for Photovoltaic Power Plants in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Region of China Using a Combined Weighting Method

Abstract

As the construction of photovoltaic power plants continues to expand, investors have placed great importance on the suitability assessment of site selection. In this study, we have developed a multi-level evaluation system and proposed an AHP–XGBoost–GIS comprehensive evaluation model for assessing site suitability in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. The findings revealed that approximately 48,800 km2 (21.59% of the total area) constituted a suitable area in this region, surpassing previous research results. Generally suitable areas accounted for the largest proportion at 35.89%. Suitable areas in Beijing and Tianjin were relatively limited, with most of them concentrated in Baoding City, Zhangjiakou City, and Chengde City on the northwest side of the “Yanshan-Taihang Mountains”, where there are ample wastelands with gentle slopes conducive to constructing photovoltaic power plants southeast of the “Yanshan-Taihang Mountains”, and solar radiation conditions were better. However, ecological and economic factors restricted suitable areas resulting in smaller coverage including cities such as Handan, Xingtai, Qinhuangdao, and Tangshan, among others. This study successfully overcame limitations associated with traditional subjective evaluation methods by providing decision support for regional energy allocation planning and spatial planning efforts, as well as environmental protection endeavors.