Abstract: Based on the spatial and temporal distribution of photovoltaic resources in China,this paper studies and proposes a prediction model for the location of photovoltaic power stations and potential of photovoltaic power based on ArcGIS and multi-criteria evaluation.ArcGIS software and analytical hierarchy process were used to comprehensively consider a variety of factors affecting the construction of large-scale photovoltaic power stations,and different photovoltaic utilization coefficients were assigned to different terrain and land types,so as to obtain a multi-factor evaluation model of the suitability of large-scale photovoltaic power station construction,photovoltaic potential and photovoltaic power station location. Based on the model,the potential of photovoltaic power generation in various regions in China is obtained and the suggestions on the location of photovoltaic power stations are given. The evaluation results show that the total annual photovoltaic power generation in China is about 570.07×10~6kWh,among which Xinjiang is the province with the highest total annual photovoltaic power generation. The most suitable areas for the construction of photovoltaic power stations in China are the northwest region,in which the suitable area is 1.08×10~6km~2,and the most suitable area is 2.10×10~5km~2. The conclusion will provide a reliable theoretical basis for the long-term planning and construction of China’s photovoltaic industry.