GIS-Based Land Suitability Assessment And Mapping For Agrivoltaic Systems In Central Luzon, Philippines For Non-Rice Crops Using MCDA-AHP

Abstract

The growing demand for renewable energy and sustainable agriculture calls for the need to optimize land use through agrivoltaic systems, integrating solar energy production with agricultural activities. Despite the potential of such systems, there is limited localized studies within the Philippines, especially for non-rice crops, hence a research gap. This paper assesses and maps land suitability for non-rice crop agrivoltaic systems in Central Luzon, Philippines, using a geographic information system-based Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis coupled with the Analytic Hierarchy Process. These include photovoltaic potential, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, topography, landslide and flood susceptibility, roads proximity, groundwater availability, rainfall, slope and soil type, with weights assigned to each based on their relative importance. Spatial analysis using 10 m x 10 m resolution pixels across the total regional area of approximately 21,300 km² showed that 56.36% of the land is suitable, consisting of 10.27% highly suitable, 0.26% moderately suitable, and 45.83% least suitable, and 43.64% not suitable. These results showed the effectiveness of GIS-based MCDA-AHP in finding the optimal areas for agrivoltaic deployment. This study provides the foundational framework for the integration of renewable energy into agriculture in Central Luzon. The authors are presently expanding this work to include determination of land suitability for agrivoltaic systems that will support livestock and aquaculture production to further optimize multi-purpose use of land.