GIS-BASED OPTIMUM SITE SELECTION FOR SOLAR ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION: ANKARA-ISTANBUL HIGHWAY CASE

Abstract. Energy sources are divided into renewable and non-renewable sources. It can be seen that non-renewable energy resources are not adequately meeting the increased demands of worldwide technological developments, increasing population, and global consumption. Therefore, the demand for renewable resources is increasing day by day. When it comes to the use of non-renewable carbon-based fossil fuels, one of the first areas that come to mind is undoubtedly the Automotive sector. Today, it is realized that one of the main reasons for the lack of electric motor cars compared to petroleum fuelled cars, is the scarcity of electric vehicle charging stations and the difficulty of their accessibility. In this study; an analysis of solar-powered electric charging stations site selection was carried out for electric vehicles. The Ankara-Istanbul highway, which has a high traffic density, was chosen as the sample route for the study. Within the scope of the study, the areas where stations can be installed on the highway were carried out using the Multi-Criteria Decision Making Method with the help of Geographic Information System. Solar radiation, slope, aspect, land use/land cover, traffic volume and proximity to the road, criteria of the route, and site selection analysis were determined as input data. The maps of the determined criteria were arranged according to the study area and prepared for analysis. The criteria maps obtained were reclassified according to the above-mentioned criteria and scoring system. After the reclassification process, the weighting of each criteria which affect the analysis was determined by the researched literature and an overlapping process was carried out. According to the results map produced as a result of the overlay analysis, the appropriate area has been determined for the electric charging stations working with solar energy. On the defined route within the scope of the study, a proposal has been made for a total of 13 stations, 8 in Ankara, 3 in Bolu, 1 in Kocaeli, and 1 in Istanbul. This study, it is aimed to encourage automobile users to make greater use of electric motor vehicles, which would be a more environmentally friendly and sustainable choice, and ultimately more economical.