This project focuses on identifying optimal locations for solar power installations in Dharwad district using a GIS-based multi-criteria decision-making approach. It integrates multiple spatial layers including:

1. Land Use Land Cover (LULC)

2. Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI)

3. Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI)

4. Slope

5. Aspect

6. Surface temperature

7. Drainage density

8. Road and railway networks to evaluate site suitability.

These datasets were processed in ArcGIS Map through steps such as rasterization, reclassification, and buffer analysis, followed by a weighted overlay technique. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to assign relative weights to each parameter through pairwise comparison, and the consistency of the matrix was validated using Python (with a consistency ratio below 0.1). Each layer was classified based on its influence on solar energy generation—for example, flat terrain, high solar radiation, south-facing slopes, and proximity to roads were considered more suitable. The final output is a Solar Site Suitability Map that categorizes the study area into highly suitable, moderately suitable, less suitable, and not suitable zones, providing a decision-support tool for planners, government authorities, and stakeholders involved in solar energy development.