The growing energy demand in developing countries necessitates sustainable electricity generation solutions that address both climate mitigation and water security challenges. Floating photovoltaics (FPV) on reservoir surfaces offer a dual-benefit approach by generating clean energy while reducing water evaporation—critical in water- stressed semi-arid regions. This study presents a comprehensive feasibility assessment of large-scale FPV deployment across dam reservoirs in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran, using an integrated remote sensing, GIS, and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework. Based on 20-year (2001�2020) Landsat 5/8 NDWI time- series analysis, 12 dams were selected from 69 candidates for detailed evaluation. Fifteen technical, climatic, and socioeconomic criteria—including solar irradiance, sunshine duration, installable FPV area, temperature, evaporation, precipitation, cloudiness, dust/hail frequency, wind speed, proximity to power grids/roads/settlements, land use, and population density—were integrated using the Best–Worst Method (BWM) for criteria weighting (consistency ratio = 0.061) and the Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution (EDAS) for site prioritization. Expert judgments from 14 professionals yielded robust weights validated through Monte Carlo sensitivity analysis (coefficient of variation <12%, rank preservation probability >92% under ±20% perturbations). Results identified Dosti Dam as the top-ranked site (EDAS score = 0.997), followed by Kardeh, Chahchahe, and Toroq. The cumulative installed capacity across all 12 sites totals 2668.38 ± 266.84 MWp, with an estimated annual energy generation of 3948.59 ± 394.86 GWh—sufficient to meet approximately 15% of the province\\\\\\\'s current electricity demand. Economic analysis revealed a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 0.084/kWh (range: 0.076–0.092), approaching grid parity and expected to achieve full competitiveness within 2–3 years under current feed�in tariff escalation trends. The findings demonstrate that FPV on reservoirs represents a technically feasible, economically viable, and environmentally beneficial strategy for enhancing energy security and water resilience in semi-arid developing regions.

Keywords