A NATIONWIDE HAZARD-INTEGRATED AGRIVOLTAIC SUITABILITY ASSESSMENT FOR THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES: A FUZZY MULTI-CRITERIA APPROACH
This research develops the first nationwide agrivoltaic suitability assessment for the contiguous United States, integrating natural hazard risk evaluation. While existing frameworks evaluate technical and economic criteria, they inadequately address risks from natural hazards. This study employs Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) integrated with GIS analysis at county-level resolution, incorporating four primary hazards: hailstorms, strong winds, tornadoes, and wildfires. Hazard-specific risk matrices combining severity classifications with historical frequency generate composite risk scores. Baseline analysis identifies 2,339,237 km² meeting minimum suitability thresholds. Integration of natural hazard risks reveals substantial reductions, with an average 71.7% decrease across 42 states with complete data, and some states experiencing reductions exceeding 99%. Despite constraints, approximately 668,000 km² of hazard-resilient suitable area remains, representing potential capacity exceeding 334 GW. This framework provides critical decision support for resilient agrivoltaic infrastructure development and risk mitigation strategies.