An environmental evaluation of potentially optimal regions for solar plant construction in China

Owing to the huge environmental costs and socioeconomic losses caused by burning fossil fuels, renewable energy has become a heated topic for researchers to investigate on. Accordingly, solar energy (e.g., photovoltaic energy or PV energy), renowned for being an eco-friendly power source, emerges as a crucial subject for investigation, particularly within the context of global warming and net-zero carbon economy targets. To expedite the production of PV power in China, this study aims to assess the environmental suitability of potential regions optimal for the construction of solar plants within the country. By collecting data in different regions of China based on various factors (including environmental and socioeconomic factors), innovative evaluation metrics are developed, which produce a score for each regions suitableness for constructing solar power plants. According to the evaluation framework for solar plant construction, each region can be ranked easily according to those scores. The results suggest that Tibet is the optimal province for PV power production, with Gar identified as the most favorable area within Tibet; meanwhile, Chongqing exhibits the lowest potential for solar plant construction among all evaluated regions. The insights derived from this study can provide a vital reference for corporations and government entities in making informed decisions on the location for the development of large-scale solar power installations.