Assessment of Solar Energy Potential and Optimal Site Selection for Photovoltaic Installations in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia has vast potential in terms of solar power as the country is rich in renewable energy resources that are both abundant and scalable to meet the expanding needs for electricity. The present work is concerned with the evaluation of solar photovoltaic energy potential and the identification of viable sites for the subsequent installation of large-scale photovoltaic arrays in the city of Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Detailed multi-step methodology implemented with the use of Sentinel-1, NASADEM, and COPD DEM. The methodology included preprocessing data, calculations of solar radiation, the analysis of the terrain, and the classification of land cover. Several vital factors present during the analysis such as slope, aspect, viewshed, solar radiation, land cover that was analyzed to produce a suitability map of large-scale photovoltaic installations with the use of modern ArcGIS Pro spatial analysis tools and high-res Lidar-derived data. A combined suitability analysis was performed, followed by validation using random points and ground truth data, achieving 85.5% overall accuracy and a kappa coefficient of 0.710348, indicating good effectiveness and substantial agreement with ground truth data. Our findings reveal significant solar energy potential in Jeddah, with the most promising areas concentrated in the eastern and central regions. Specifically, our results show that out of the total study area, approximately 1083.322 km2 is highly suitable for PV installations. This underscores the importance of incorporating thermal considerations into site selection and panel placement. The results align with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 for sustainable energy diversification, providing valuable insights for strategic planning and policy development in solar energy projects. Saudi Arabia has vast potential in terms of solar power as the country is rich in renewable energy resources that are both abundant and scalable to meet the expanding needs for electricity. The present work is concerned with the evaluation of solar photovoltaic energy potential and the identification of viable sites for the subsequent installation of large-scale photovoltaic arrays in the city of Jeddah, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Detailed multi-step methodology implemented with the use of Sentinel-1, NASADEM, and COPD DEM. The methodology included preprocessing data, calculations of solar radiation, the analysis of the terrain, and the classification of land cover. Several vital factors present during the analysis such as slope, aspect, viewshed, solar radiation, land cover that was analyzed to produce a suitability map of large-scale photovoltaic installations with the use of modern ArcGIS Pro spatial analysis tools and high-res Lidar-derived data. A combined suitability analysis was performed, followed by validation using random points and ground truth data, achieving 85.5% overall accuracy and a kappa coefficient of 0.710348, indicating good effectiveness and substantial agreement with ground truth data. Our findings reveal significant solar energy potential in Jeddah, with the most promising areas concentrated in the eastern and central regions. Specifically, our results show that out of the total study area, approximately 1083.322 km2 is highly suitable for PV installations. This underscores the importance of incorporating thermal considerations into site selection and panel placement. The results align with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 for sustainable energy diversification, providing valuable insights for strategic planning and policy development in solar energy projects.