assessment of photovoltaic system development potential in hotels of tabriz using a spatial multi-criteria decision-making model

This study aimed to assess the spatial potential of hotels in tabriz for developing photovoltaic systems. for this purpose, a hybrid model combining gis and mcda was employed, with criteria weighting performed using the fucom method. nine main criteria were analyzed, including proximity to parks, commercial, industrial, and service centers, pvout, sky view factor, aerosol optical depth, building density, building height, population density, and proximity to roads. two approaches were applied in evaluating the hotels: in the first approach, hotels were compared with all urban buildings in tabriz, while in the second approach, the comparison was conducted only among the hotels themselves. out of a total of 51 hotels, 2 hotels (3.9%) were classified as very low, 15 hotels (29.4%) as low, 16 hotels (31.4%) as moderate, 11 hotels (21.6%) as high, and 7 hotels (13.7%) as very high in suitability for photovoltaic system development. this distribution indicates that about 34.3% of the hotels were classified as high and very high suitability, while approximately 63% fell into low and moderate categories. in the second approach, where the comparison was limited to hotels, 9 hotels (17.6%) were classified as very low, 17 hotels (33.3%) as low, 12 hotels (23.5%) as moderate, 6 hotels (11.8%) as high, and 7 hotels (13.7%) as very high. in this case, more than 50% of the hotels were categorized as low and very low, reflecting relatively unfavorable conditions in the intra-group comparison. these findings provide a solid foundation for decision-making, investment planning, and the development of solar-powered hotels as part of tabriz’s sustainable tourism strategy.