Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293

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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

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Wind power plant site selection: A systematic review

G. Rediske a, *, H.P. Burin a, P.D. Rigo a, C.B. Rosa a, L. Michels b, J.C.M. Siluk a
a
Department of Production and Systems Engineering, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105-900, Santa Maria, Brazil
b
Department of Electrical Energy Processing, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105-900, Santa Maria, Brazil

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Considering that planet earth’s resources are limited, especially when considering its multiple demands of use, it
Wind energy becomes important to identify the most suitable locations for the installation of wind turbines. In this article, the
Wind plant design wind resource is analyzed from the perspective of restrictive, economic, environmental, and social aspects that
Decision making support
must be considered when selecting the areas for installing wind farms. The study was conducted following the
Literature review
Site assessment
premises of the Systematic Literature Review and the results answer the following questions: What are the factors
that restrict the choice of a location? What factors should be considered when choosing a location? What are the
methods that assist the site selection process? Therefore, a critical and in-depth evaluation of previous studies
involving the necessary information to assist the researcher regarding the restrictive, relevant, and determining
factors when choosing a great location for installing a wind power plant, as well as the methods addressed for
solving this type of problem can be properly determined. Studies have shown that the wind speed is the most
determinant factor of decision, followed by the wind density and proximity to the roads, while the protected
areas, watercourses, and species migration routes were the most listed restriction factors in the literature. The
methods used by the researchers are Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making techniques, Geographic Information
System software, and statistical techniques. The main contribution of this paper is a broad set of information that
should be considered when deciding on the best location for developing a wind project. Thus, the decision
process becomes safer, assisting the researcher and investor of the project in determining the restrictive factors,
relevant criteria, as well as possible methods to be used in this process.

1. Introduction
Energy supply and demand have expanded together with a greater
appeal for sustainability issues, which makes the correct exploitation of
energy by renewable sources extremely important [1]. These energy
sources are expanding rapidly and reaching record levels of investment
[2]. The increase of renewable sources in electricity distribution net­
works is a major objective of the energy planning policies of several
countries [3,4]. It is possible to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, as
well as the environmental problems caused by these polluting sources,
by increasing the use of clean sources [5]. Furthermore, the depletion of
fossil fuel reserves, rising fuel prices, and growing environmental con­
cerns favor the use of renewable energy sources [6,7].
The global installed capacity of energy from renewable sources in
2019 was 2530 GW, of which, hydroelectric plants had a share of
46.96%, followed by wind energy with 24.60%, solar energy with
23.11%, bioenergies with 4.77%, geothermal with 0.54%, and marine
energy with only 0.02% [8]. China is the country with the largest share
of electricity generation from renewable sources, with 1,844, 073, 561
GWh, followed by the United States with 764,680.011 GWh, and Brazil
with 495, 945, 366 GWh. This ranking also includes other countries such
as Canada, India, Germany, Russia, Japan, Norway, and France [8].
Wind energy is a promising technology with rapid growth [9]. It stands
out among others renewable energy sources because of its ability to
generate large amounts of energy at competitive costs [5,10]. It is an
important energy resource worldwide and its participation in energy
generation has good prospects in the near future since it is already used
in more than 80 countries [11,12]. It is estimated that its useable re­
sources are 53,000 TWh/year, which represents three times the world’s
energy consumption [13]. In 2019 alone, a total of 60.4 GW of wind
power capacity was installed globally, which represents an increase of
19% compared to installations in 2018. Thus, overall, the total wind
energy capacity exceeds 651 GW. It is expected that more than 355 GW
of capacity will be installed between 2020 and 2024, but due to the
impact of COVID-19, this number can still change [14].
In essence, the operation of wind energy is based on the principle

* Corresponding author. Av. Roraima n 1000, Camobi, Santa Maria, RS, CEP: 97105-900, Brazil.
E-mail address: grarediske@gmail.com (G. Rediske).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.111293
Received 5 October 2020; Received in revised form 1 May 2021; Accepted 29 May 2021
Available online 5 June 2021
1364-0321/© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
G. Rediske et al.
that the kinetic energy of air is converted into electrical energy,
considering that the wind is abundant, costless, widely distributed, and
its generation is pollution-free [15,16]. Consequently, the adequate
local choice of turbine installation is essential for greater energy, eco­
nomic, and environmental efficiency. The location has a significant
impact on the performance of wind power generation systems [17].
Therefore, the best use of the plant’s energy potential is directly influ­
enced by the chosen location. For instance, areas with high rates of wind
speeds are not necessarily suitable for wind farms, such as lakes and
roads [18], for this reason, they are addressed as restrictive areas in this
study. However, there are difficulties inherent to wind energy because it
depends on the location and climatic characteristics, resulting in
different levels of energy generations from one region to another [18].
Since the wind is an intermittent and uncontrollable resource, its
connection to a large-scale network could pose risks to the power sys­
tem, resulting in an unstable production [15]. The high capital invest­
ment required is another element that must be considered in wind farms,
including the cost of equipment, transmission lines, land use, and
maintenance, which makes this source expensive when compared to
fossil fuels [18].
Since wind farms have high initial investment capital, both investors
in the wind sector and policymakers seek to develop alternatives to
maximize the cost-benefit ratio of these enterprises [12]. Choosing a
location that meets the economic expectations of the plant’s investors is
one of the most important stages of the project [19]. That is, choosing
economically viable and efficient locations for power generation
through wind farms is an expensive process that depends on several
variables [20]. The identification of such areas is related to its wind
potential, and many other restrictive, economic, environmental, and
social aspects that must be taken into account.
In the light of the scientific literature, many researchers analyze
optimal locations for installing wind farms and the impacts that they can
cause. However, many studies have specific objectives to identify these
locations, such as analyzing the impact wind turbines can cause when
installed in environmental protection areas, urban or military. This va­
riety of studies, with different scopes, leads to the identification and
prioritization of various determining and restrictive factors to wind farm
construction. The main contribution of this study is to investigate
different works aiming to organized a wide range of information, such as
the restrictive factors to installing a wind farm, determining factors for
the viability of the project associated with efforts to minimize impacts
on society, fauna and flora, and a set of methods used for this decision
making.
In order to provide such information to researchers and investors in
the wind sector, our main contribution to this research is the extensive
and rigorous study of the literature carried out, organizing the key
characteristics for choosing the best location for installing a wind farm,
such as: (i) the restrictive factors in the search for a safe installation that
meets environmental standards and prevents possible damage to local
society; (ii) the relevant factors to support site choice modeling, as well
as the classification and detailed explanation of each one of them; and
(iii) the methods used in the selection of these sites, which are classified
into multi-criteria decision support methods (MCDM), Geographical
Information Software (GIS), statistical methods, and post-application
analysis, such as sensitivity analysis or model validation. The next
subsection addresses the problems related to wind farm location with
greater emphasis.
1.1. Wind power plants location
A good performance of the energy system is directly associated with
the geographic characteristics of a region, which includes local re­
sources, distance to roads, economic activities, settlement structures,
and energy infrastructure [21]. Also, there is an increasing number of
spatial decision-making projects involving technical, economic, social,
environmental, and political dimensions that are being conducted to
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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293
identify optimal locations for installing new wind farms [18].
A crucial step before the development of the technical project is to
identify the most appropriate location to build the wind power plant.
Facility location optimization provides knowledge of modeling prob­
lems related to installations in some specific regions based on certain
criteria [5,7]. Site selection for wind farms is considered a comprehen­
sive assessment of several variables [22]. Factors that affect the envi­
ronment, economy, and viability of wind energy production over the
durability of the plant must be considered [12].
Some studies have been carried out in this line of research,
addressing factors that are capable of determining the selection of the
best location for wind farm installations. Rouyendegh et al. [23] con­
ducted a site selection study for wind farms in Turkey by combining the
TOPSIS and Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set (IFS) methods. Similar to this study,
Villacreses et al. [3] implemented a geographic information system to
select the most viable location for installing wind farms in Ecuador. The
Geographical Information System (GIS) and the decision-making
methods VIKOR, OCRA, TOPSIS, and OWA were used. The study by
Ali et al. [24] conducted in Pakistan used the Analytical Hierarch Pro­
cess (AHP) multicriteria method to assess four potential sites (alterna­
tives) based on six criteria, concluding that the preference for a location
depends largely on the average annual wind speed and wind power
density. The article by Ari and Gencer [25] also aimed at selecting
optimal sites for installing wind farms. This work carried out in Turkey
compares the use of a deterministic decision-making method, a sto­
chastic (AHP), and a hybrid approach (AHP-SMAA).
Many studies focus on the impacts that wind farms can have on the
local fauna and flora. Arnett and May [26] investigated different ap­
proaches to mitigate such impacts on wild fauna. The study highlights
that planning and avoiding certain areas is extremely important to
reduce impacts on the lives of birds and bats. In this same line of
research, Wszołek et al. [27] addressed the absence of standards to
determine the environmental impact of wind turbines, especially its
acoustic effects that directly affect birds, bats, and other animals. On the
other hand, a study by Tikkanen et al. [28] presented a method capable
of assisting in planning for a wind farm installation, enabling its coex­
istence with birds, so as to avoid the collision of these birds with the
turbines, especially with the blades.
Besides that, some studies focused on the impact of wind energy on
human life from different perspectives. Although there are government
targets that aim to increase the spread of renewable energy in many
countries, several studies recognize that social acceptance can be a
limiting factor when trying to achieve this goal [29]. Lindgren et al. [30]
conducted extensive research on the conflicts between wind energy and
military aviation in Sweden. Another study related to the theme was the
one developed by Poggi et al. [31], which addresses the impacts caused
by the implementation of renewable sources in rural areas, specifically.
In it, the authors mention the need to control the implementation pro­
cess of these sources, avoiding conflicts over land occupation in rural
areas. In contrast, the study by Rauba and Ziminska [13] aimed to
analyze the public’s perception of the construction and investments in
wind farms. Through direct interviews with inhabitants of a Polish city,
the authors researched about their knowledge of renewable sources and
their opinions of wind farms. It was found that the support for the
implementation of these plants tends to decrease under the hypothesis
that they would be installed close to the interviewees’ area of residence.
This perception had already been identified in the study by Wolsink [32]
in which he argues that the difference between the general acceptance
and resistance to specific projects is explained by the fact that people
support renewable energy, as long as it is not in their backyard. Another
important finding is that different sectors of a community can be
influenced by the consequences of this type of project, where results
considered unfair by the population could result in protests, damaged
relationships, and divided communities, especially when decisions
benefit some sectors of the community while harming others [33].
Sovacool and Ratan [34] observed that opposition to wind projects
G. Rediske et al.
changes significantly before and after they are completed. This is due to
the fact that the local population tends to become more favorable to
wind farms after their construction, and when they receive incentives
during the planning and implementation procedures. Therefore, such
factors can strongly influence public acceptance. The results of these
studies provide relevant information that helps decision-makers when
developing a wind project, as they can bring mitigating measures to the
impacts, as well as incentives to the local community.
After reading several studies on the location of wind farms, it is
evident that the site selection is the main concern for its establishment.
This process requires the consideration of several variables, which
makes decision-making difficult, besides requiring complex modeling
[35]. Also, if all requirements are not met, this can lead to several
problems, such as high production costs, low power generation, and
severe environmental damages [17]. Therefore, the site selection pro­
cess is essential for the generation of wind energy efficiently, increasing
its global diffusion.
The previous researches mainly deal with case studies applied in a
specific region of interest. Specialists in the sector usually determine the
restrictive and relevant factors according to the analyzed area. Given
this, our study provides a wide range of these factors to researchers in
the wind sector. It will assist future applications for selecting optimal
locations for wind farms considering the maximum factors that influence
the best choice and the methods used in this decision-making.
1.2. Purpose and research questions
Despite the growing number of wind projects worldwide, there are
only a few studies that have examined in detail the restrictions for its
installation, as well as the determining factors, and methods used for
such a choice. It can be noted that studies tend to focus only on its place
of application, not properly covering the restrictive and determining
variables to be considered in this decision-making process. Thus, it is
important to have a literature review to discuss these issues. Therefore,
to provide a comprehensive review of all the variables that must be
analyzed to assist in the optimal choice of a site, this study aims to
identify the criteria and methodologies that have been used in re­
searches around the world in this field of study. This research is a Sys­
tematic Literature Review (SLR) and aims to provide information to
researchers so that from this article, they can focus directly on the next
step of the research, which is choosing a location. Also, it seeks to
emphasize to investors of the wind sector and public policymakers, the
importance of taking into account all relevant variables, in order to
choose more assertive methodologies in their decisions.
Considering the proposed objective, three Research Questions (RQ)
were developed that seek to synthesize, explain, and discuss the most
critical characteristic in choosing the ideal location for installing a wind
farm present in the scientific literature as follows:
RQ1. What are the restrictive factors that affect the choice of location?
RQ2. What are the relevant factors that help to choose a location?
RQ3. What are the methods that support a site selection process?
The rest of this article is organized as follows: Section 2 provides an
overview of the SLR structure of this research; Section 3 presents the
results of the survey, and each subsection responds and discusses an
research question, respectively, and Section 4 concludes this study,
summarizing the results and highlighting the gaps for future studies.
2. Method
This research was conducted following the guidelines of the Sys­
tematic Literature Review (SLR) to answer the questions listed in the
previous section. Systematic reviews seek to answer specific questions
objectively and impartially [36]. To this end, it was used systematic
methods defined a priori in the identification and selection of studies,
3
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293
data extraction, and analysis of results. In the systematic review process,
a protocol must be mapped that explicitly outlines the objectives of the
review, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the way the studies are
found [37]. The main phases developed to obtain the results are shown
in Fig. 1. Fig. 1 shows this process was divided into three phases and is
part of the systematic study protocol, which presents the research action
plan.
2.1. Phase 1: protocol development
The SLR protocol was developed in phase 1. Two databases were
consulted for purposes of analysis, research rigor, and comparison,
which are Web of Science and Scopus. They were chosen because they
have a wide range of high-quality journals, raising the quality of the
results obtained for this study. The search terms were derived from the
main terms used in the topic area and the purpose of the review. The
search terms were derived from the main keywords used in studies with
themes related to this article. Several pilot searches were performed to
refine the keywords in the search string by trial and error. Terms whose
inclusion did not produce any additional work in the automatic search
were removed. This process resulted in the following Boolean search
phrase: (“decision making” OR “choice” OR “selection”) AND (“Power
plant” OR “Power Station”) AND “Wind” AND (“local” OR “location” OR
“area” OR “site”). The research was conducted from 2010 to June 2020.
This period was established due to the significant increase in publica­
tions related to the terms used in the search string. The search was
filtered only of articles without considering conferences, books, chap­
ters, and theses.
2.2. Phase 2: protocol execution
In phase 2, the review protocol was performed in the databases,
resulting in a total of 273 articles. After that, the Mendeley reference
manager was used to assist in the review process, remaining 231 studies
after removing duplicates. In addition, exclusion and inclusion criteria
were established because the selection of articles was carried out
through a practical screening that consists of two steps [38]: (1) Defi­
nition of exclusion criteria and (2) selection of studies to be included in
the analysis.
In relation to phase (1), the articles were reviewed and exclusion
criteria were applied, in order to separate the articles that could answer
the research questions from those that do not add any relevant infor­
mation. In this phase, the initial analysis was based on the title, abstract,
and keywords, considering the following exclusion criteria: Does the
article address the topic of wind energy? (A: Yes/No); Does the article
discuss about localization issues? (A: Yes/No). If at least one of the an­
swers to these questions was “No”, the article was excluded from the
sample. This process resulted in 108 articles because many of them did
not match the theme addressed by the keywords. In other words, the
study should cover problems related to the location of wind farms,
which may include applications of methodologies for site selection,
analysis of the community’s perception of the plant’s impacts and
benefits after it starts operating, or its impacts on the environment.
In phase (2), the study inclusion criteria were applied. During this
phase, the analysis included the reading of the article to find answers to
the research questions. In this phase, the analysis contemplated reading
the entire article in search of answers to the research questions. The
inclusion criteria were as follows: Does the article mention any restric­
tive factors for the installation of wind farms? (A: Yes/No); Does the
article cite any factors as being relevant in the selection of wind farm
locations? (A: Yes/No), and Does the article present methods/tech­
niques/processes for choosing plant sites? (A: Yes/No). Unlike the
exclusion criteria, in this phase, at least one of the answers must be “Yes”
for the study to be included. It is observed that the inclusion criteria
enable both ex ante and ex post modeling studies of a wind farm siting,
as long as they provide information on restrictive, relevant factors, or
G. Rediske et al.
Fig. 1. Search process.
methods. This is because if we had consulted exclusively the literature of
ex ante modeling, the real impacts of a wind farm studied by the ex post
studies would not be considered, which would weaken the discussion of
this study. The final list of articles included for the review were 58, since
26 are ex ante studies and 32 are ex post estudios.
2.3. Phase 3: results compilation
The last phase was carried out to extract the relevant and restrictive
factors, as well as the selection methods (answering RQ1, RQ2, and RQ3,
respectively). A database was created using an electronic spreadsheet,
where all 58 articles were analyzed and classified according to its
contribution to the research.
In these 58 articles, 20 restrictive and 30 relevant factors, and more
26 applications of methodologies were identified in the selection of an
optimal location for the installation of a wind power plant. In relation to
RQ2 on the relevant factors, it was possible to identify which ones are
the most used, being considered fundamental and determining in the
studies of location in absolutely all locations, countries, or other speci­
ficities, resulting in 10 determining variables.
The results are presented in three parts. First, a description of each of
the 20 restrictive factors, making decision-makers aware of the appli­
cation of these restrictive variables. Second, the description, discussion,
and demonstration of the relevant variables were carried out. Third,
studies using location methodologies were analyzed and these methods
were evaluated and classified according to the use of MCDM, GIS, and
statistical methods, also, the post-application analysis or sensitivity
analyzes used by the studies to validate the models were presented. The
systematic review with semi-quantitative evaluation criteria enriches
the literature of studies related to the theme of this article, facilitating a
broad understanding of trends of the existing bibliography [39].
3. Results and discussion
Site selection for wind farms installation is a complex decision-
making problem, which requires an exhaustive assessment of several
restrictive or relevant variables. Besides that, it is essential to know
about the methods and techniques capable of processing the data ob­
tained, thus helping investors and decision-makers in choosing the op­
timum location for the plants. This section is divided into three
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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293
subsections, which answer, respectively, the three RQ of SLR.
3.1. Restrictive factors for site selection
In an investigation of the potential and viability of wind energy in a
given area, different restrictions that may affect the energy production
of the system must be taken into account [18]. Restrictive factors are the
first obstacle in decision making, reducing the suitability of wind farms
in the desired area [3]. They are also called exclusion criteria, because
they prevent the installation of wind farms in areas that are not allowed
due to environmental and economic impediments, and because they
cause technical problems to the plants. In this regard, it should be
considered that not every site is suitable for building a wind farm [40].
Thus, after a wide reading of studies on the location of wind farms, it was
possible to find 20 restrictive factors listed in these researches. These
factors are shown in Table 1, as well as its brief description and the
respective references.
It was verified after reading the articles shown in Table 1 that many
authors list directly restrictive factors, exposing them in tables and
topics, but besides that, there are the indirect ones, which are exposed
through researches about the impacts caused by wind farms in society,
fauna, or flora. As a result, this requires the understanding and classi­
fication of these variables. In addition, the literature addresses some
reference values, such as minimum distances, speeds, and angles, which
serve as a basis for selecting wind farm locations. However, it is the
designers’ responsibility to ascertain that the laws of each country and/
or city are enforced so that local rules are respected to avoid problems. It
is important for responsible designers to check local laws and interna­
tional standards in the electrical sector (for exemple: International
Electrotechnical Commission - IEC) that present recommendations to be
followed by performance and safety measures of the wind plant.
Jimenez et al. [62] show that despite the advantages that renewable
energy plants offer to the electricity sector, there are some restrictions
that should not be ignored in these installations. It is important to
remember that power plants must not be installed on land with forests,
agriculture, housing construction, and water bodies. In addition, a
minimum distance from airports, transmission lines, roads, and rail
networks must be maintained. These restrictions are due to traffic safety
issues [18].
The identification of these restrictive factors in the literature seeks to
G. Rediske et al.
Table 1
Restrictive factors for wind plant site selection.
Restrictive Description
Factor
Road Networks Wind farms must be at least 500 m from
the main road network. The proximity
of these farms to the roads affects road
transport due to the loud noise of the
turbines and the shading generated by
the blades.
Urban Areas Maintain a minimum distance of 1000
m–3000 m between wind farms and
urban areas. This distance is essential
because the operation of these plants
can harm the health of the population,
such as the emission of a low-frequency
noise that affects the quality of life of
human beings.
Protection Areas Protection and conservation areas of the
world’s natural and cultural resources.
Enterprises in these areas must be
designed to cause minimal damage to
nature and living beings. The literature
shows that wind farms should be with a
minimum distance of 1000 m–5000 m
from cultural landscapes, and from 500
m to 1000 m of nature reserves must be
respected.
Slope The construction of wind farms on land
with a slope greater than 25◦ is not
recommended. Many studies still bring
a stricter restriction, of 15◦ .
Military Zone Wind farms in military zones can affect
their facilities and activities. The
combination of location and height of
the turbines makes them physical
obstacles. Also, when located close to
radar stations, they interfere with its
operation. Therefore, the plants must
maintain a distance of 5000 m from the
radar location.
Ecological The construction of wind turbines, as
Corridors well as the necessary infrastructure for
plant projects, negatively impacts the
connectivity of landscapes and the
length of ecological corridors.
Species Habitat Species habitat must be taken into
account in wind farm projects since its
construction and operation can cause
the death of birds, bats, and other wild
animals. The effect of the emitted
sound, a noise, also generates
behavioral changes in animals, such as
expelling them from their habitats.
Species Due to the rotation of the rotor blades of
Migration wind farms, there is a high probability
Route of bird and bat collision. The linear
speed of the blades can reach 300 km/h,
being a danger for any species. Thus, the
construction of turbines in avian air
corridors is prohibited.
Historical It refers to the concern of installing
Heritage wind farms in cultural environments.
The minimum distance from historic
sites to these plants must be 200 m.
Plant Elevation It is not indicated that the elevation of
the plant is greater than 2000 m, as the
air density decreases at high altitudes,
generating low efficiency of the
turbines. There is also difficulty in
transporting the components to
elevated areas.
Airports Wind farms must be at least 2500 m
from airports. Wind turbines interfere
with electromagnetic waves and
telecommunication networks.
Agriculture Area
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293
Table 1 (continued )
Restrictive Description Reference
Reference Factor
For installation of wind farms, locations
[18,23,40–46] less than 500 m from rural areas should
be excluded, as installations in
agricultural areas can render the soil
ineffective.
Wind speed The average wind speed in the region of [17,25,45], [19,47,
construction of the wind farm must be 51]
[3,5,17–19,23, greater than 7 m/s to make the project
40–51] of a plant viable and less than 25 m/s as
very strong winds can damage the
turbines.
Watercourses and Zones within the 400 m range of rivers [18,23,40,43,51,
Streams and streams should be considered 54], [19,44,45],
exclusion areas when selecting [31,46]
locations for installing wind farms.
[3,12,18,19,23,25, Natural Disasters Areas with a high likelihood of natural [3,5,23,35,44,47,
31,40–46,50,52, disasters occurring should be excluded 58,61]
53], [54] when selecting sites for installing wind
farms. For example cyclones,
hurricanes, landslides, floods, storms,
tornadoes, etc.
Forests The construction of wind farms close to [31,49,54] [5,19,
forests is not recommended, as the high 44,45,51] [46,50]
density of trees can interfere with the
passage of wind.
[12,18,19,40,45, Railways It is necessary to maintain a minimum [18,40,44,45]
51] distance from the railways as a safety
measure.
Available Area Large wind farms require an extensive [17,18]
[12,25,30,46] area available for installation. It is
important to establish the necessary
area when selecting the location. Areas
that do not support the installation
should be excluded from the analysis.
Transmission It is necessary to maintain a minimum [18,40,41,44]
lines distance from the electric power
transmission lines so that there is no risk
of compromising the local network.
[31,44,49] Mining Locations The installation of wind farms close to [40,44,45]
mining sites is not recommended.
provide more accurate data to support decisions and to reduce the time
[19,26,27,44,46, to obtain the necessary environmental licenses, which are considered
50,54–59]
critical for the development of the energy sector However, the authors
state that for proper planning, the project must be in accordance with
regional conditions to have sustainable management, as restrictions and
legal structures vary from case to case, since each territory has a specific
environmental legal framework [45]. In this context, several studies
[26,28,41,42,44,
establish their incompatibility criteria or do not clarify the origin of the
52,55,56,58–60] applied criteria; while others simply adopt the criteria established by
[49] other authors in different territorial scenarios. Nonetheless, this can lead
to erroneous conclusions because the criteria and limits should be
directly related to the characteristics of a given territory. For this reason,
the criteria developed in other areas of study must be implemented with
[19,23,44,45,50] extreme care and should be evaluated by specialists, especially when the
legal framework of the region does not define which criteria should be
applied [45]. Therefore, optimizing renewable systems according to
[12,18,19,40,41,
regional conditions is crucial to support their sustainable development
45,47] [63].
It is emphasized the need to have in all projects of this type, greater
scrutiny by authorities, investors, and even the population regarding the
restrictive factors of the area to be selected. Due to the fact that more
rigor in these criteria can result in greater energy production, with lower
[3,18,19,23,40–42, costs and reduced environmental impacts, encouraging the installation
45,46,54] of this renewable source.
[19,31,44–46,50] 3.2. Relevant factors for site selection
When selecting the location for a large-scale wind farm installation,
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G. Rediske et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293

several variables are considered relevant. The objective is to optimize seeks to provide information that can support decisions, increasing the
the area because that will result in a more efficient and economic sys­ certainty that the main factors used in previous studies are being
tem, supplying the demands with a lower impact on the environment analyzed. However, we have shown that the fact of considering these
and society. It is worth remembering that the implementation of a wind factors does not fully guarantee the viability of the investment, but it
power plant involves wind turbines, weather towers, access roads, and brings greater reliability to the decision-maker. For example, even if a
transmission lines. The site selection stage is considered the most site is close to the grid, the congestion problem caused by the penetra­
important in managing biodiversity and other environmental impacts tion of renewable energy generation should also be considered and
that these projects may cause [25]. Although the average durability of a carefully evaluated [80]. That is, besides of assessing the proximity of
wind turbine is approximately 20 years, it is very expensive to install the site to the grid and substations, it is also important to assess their
wind farms. Therefore, the site selection process is essential to obtain the capacity because large wind farms generate high daily energy values,
maximum return on this investment [25]. and not all grids and substations are capable of receiving high loads due
Generally, the decision criteria are based on the objective of the to their low capacity, or because they are already overloaded. There are
study, accessibility to the georeferenced database, and the existing many well-established methodologies in the event that a decision needs
literature. The review process of this article resulted in 30 relevant to be based solely on a site wind potential. In other words, the location
factors, being organized into six categories: environmental, location, with the greatest wind potential tends to be chosen. Some authors also
economic, meteorological, orographic, and society. Table 2 shows the emphasize the importance of this factor, but mention that in addition to
relevant factors and the respective references that address them. The a high potential, a low variation of this potential over a period of time
following subsections describe and discuss these factors. also influences the plant’s performance [81,82]. Furthermore, there are
The relevant factors presented in Table 2 permeate from different many technical uncertainties, such as the turbine technology used in the
perspectives: economic, social, and environmental nature. Also, some wind farm, installation charges, controls, and electrical equipment that
factors are not subject to human modification, such as the four of the should be taken into account when investing in wind farms [18]. Since
Meteorological and the ones of the Orographic category. The other each geographic location corresponds to a unique combination of rotor
factors emerge from the social and economic circumstances of the and generator size, which in turn maximizes long-term annual energy
studied location, which are subject to human intervention, such as the production.
attitudes of government officials, businessmen, workforce, and local Thus, another factor that depends entirely on the geographic location
society. to be analyzed to guarantee the viability of a project (especially when
The identification of these factors cited as relevant in the literature compared to others) is the capacity factor of a wind farm [83]. This is
because these technical factors will also affect the results, which requires
further investigation to estimate more accurately the plant’s capacity.
Table 2
Relevant factors for wind plant site selection. When considering different factors, the aim is to maximize the genera­
tion of electricity using the minimum amount of financial resources, as
Category Relevant Factor Reference
this balance will make wind power plants economically viable. How­
Environmental Land Use [3,18,19,22,42,43,46,49,53–56,58, ever, it is up to investors to determine how each relevant factor in
64–67]
Table 2 will be considered in the modeling to choose an appropriate
Agricultural Capacity [56,59,60]
Noise Pollution [19,27,48,49,53,56,58,59,67–69]
location. The next subsections explain each of the 30 factors.
Visual Impact [49,54,58–60,67–70]
Location Distance to main [3,12,17–19,24,35,40,42,43,45,50,53, 3.2.1. Environmental
Roads 54,58,65–67,69,70] The environmental category refers to the environmental impacts in
Distance to Railroad [19]
the area where wind power plants are planned to be installed. These
Distance to Ports [3,42]
Distance to Power [3,5,12,19,22,40,43,45,47,50,51,53, plants can either help the environment or cause serious damage to it
Lines 54,58,60,64,67,67,71,72] [30]. The factors addressed by the studies are as follows:
Distance to [3,5,19,22,24,42,53,54,71]
Substations
a) Land Use: it is related to the area conditions of use, where the wind
Distance to Urban [3,23,35,42,45–48,54,56,58,60,64,65,
Areas 70]
power plant will be installed [61]. Optimal areas are those where
Economic Land Cost [5,17,23,35,47] there no restrictive elements, such as forests, animal habitats, and
Total Investment [25,53,54,67,67,73] military zones [3]. When choosing optimal land, a wind farm must be
Construction Cost [19,22,23,35,42,52,65,67,69] designed with minimal impact on the environment and with low
Manpower [23,54,60]
costs [46].
O&M [17,23,54,65,67,69,73]
Government Support [13,48,52–54,60,65] b) Agricultural Capacity: it refers to areas where there are conditions
Meteorological Wind Speed [3,5,12,15,17–19,22–25,31,35,40–48, for agriculture and installation of wind farms, making the land used
51–54,56,58,60,64,66,67,69,71–78] by both. It should be noted that wind turbines occupy on average 1%
Wind Density [3,5,15,19,22–24,31,44,46,50,52–54, of the leased area, enabling the rest to be used by other activities
64,65,67,69,71,72,74,76]
Effective Wind Hours [52–54,56,67,69]
[56].
Wind Turbulence [19,56,67,69] c) Noise Pollution: this subcriterion is about low-frequency noise pro­
Orographic Slope [3,5,12,17–19,23,31,40,42,45–47,49, duced by wind turbines [48]. This noise can cause health risks to the
51,54,58] population, directly affecting people’s quality of life [58,59], and
Geographic Direction/ [17,19,23,47,48,67,69]
also animal life, scaring birds and small rodents, expelling them from
Orientation
Soil Roughness [5,19,31,47,50,51,56,67,69,72] their habitats [27,56].
Plant Elevation [12,18,23,40,46,51,54,70] d) Visual Impact: it deals with methods so that wind farms have less
Geological Suitability [22,23,47,67] visual impact, resulting in greater harmony between the project and
Society Public Acceptance [13,22,52,53,56,59,60,65–67,69,70, the landscape [70]. Residents state that wind turbines negatively
79]
Electricity Demand [22,24,47,54,66,67,69]
affect landscapes, cultural heritage, and the tourism sector in the
Employment [12,47,52,54,56,59] region [58,59].
Generation
Local Development [22,53,56] 3.2.2. Location
Stroboscopic Effect [58,67–69]
The distances between wind farm projects and key points in a given

6
G. Rediske et al.
location must be taken into account when planning these enterprises.
Once this is done, the project tends to have more cost-effective for in­
vestors. The factors raised by the research in this category are as follows:
a) Distance to main Roads: this subcriterion refers to the accessibility of
the chosen location for wind farms installation, affecting the reli­
ability and time needed to transport materials required for its con­
struction [35]. In order to facilitate the logistics process, wind farms
should be as close as possible to the main roads to reduce the con­
struction and maintenance costs [40].
b) Distance to Railroad: the proximity between plants and railroads
may reduce expenses with transportation of the necessary equip­
ment, besides being a more accessible means of transport. In other
words, a power plant should be as close as possible to the railroads
[20].
c) Distance to Ports: seaports are considered the most important
transport terminals, where different equipment and machinery are
imported for the wind farm project. Construction costs will be lower
if the wind farm is close to the port loading dock [3].
d) Distance to Power Lines: it is directly related to the ease of trans­
porting energy to the transmission lines or transformers, since the
closer it is to the transmission lines, the shorter the distance and less
energy will be lost [12,40]. In addition, shorter distances mean lower
network connection costs [5].
e) Distance to Substations: when selecting locations, being close to
substations is a crucial element to save money [19] since the costs for
building cables depend on this distance.
f) Distance to Urban Areas: Wind power plants should not be built in
regions that are far from a populated area because they result in
greater demand for electricity and energy distribution over long
distances, resulting in less efficiency [23,35,58]. Also, due to the fact
of being close to urban áreas, which means being close to the
workforce, facilitating the hiring and accommodation of employees
[23].
3.2.3. Economic
In the economic category, it is possible to assess whether the
installation of a wind farm could be implemented effectively. Economic
values have strong influences on investment profit [58]. Cost studies
assist in the decision-making process about the wind farm location [11].
These are the most important parameters in the evaluation of economic
viability. The Economic criteria have an impact on the plant’s con­
struction and operating costs, as well as its economic profitability [69].
The factors that assist in this process are the following:
a) Land Cost: refers to the cost of buying or leasing an area that the wind
farm will be established [23]. Bearing in mind that these plants need
open spaces and an extensive area of land, this cost becomes
extremely important [17], with lower prices being a priority [5].
b) Total Investment: it evaluates the total construction cost, operation,
and wind farms maintenance. Usually, these values are quite high,
making investors consult alternative investments [25].
c) Construction Cost: it is the total investment during the construction
phase of a wind farm [52]. The construction of the infrastructure of
these projects requires a large amount of capital. In some places, for
example, it is necessary to build new roads to transport materials,
thus raising indirect construction costs [35].
d) Manpower: it is necessary to have labor available at the chosen
location, especially at the plant construction stage. Skilled em­
ployees, installers, and technicians with specific knowledge in this
field are needed [20]. The renewable energy sector is widely
recognized for creating countless job opportunities [84].
e) Operation and Maintenance (O&M): it is essential to evaluate the
costs related to the annual operation and maintenance of a wind farm
[23]. It should be noted that in places where there is a greater
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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293
incidence of natural disasters, such as typhoons, the costs related to
operation and maintenance are higher [69].
f) Government Support: investors need to consult local authorities for
the construction of wind farms [13]. The government can support
through legislative regulations or by creating tariff policies that
encourage the construction of these enterprises [48].
3.2.4. Meteorological
The meteorological category refers to the wind resources of one or
more possible locations for installing wind farms. The determination of
the wind energy potential when choosing a location is made through a
detailed investigation of wind characteristics, such as speed, direction,
density, and availability [85]. The assessment of wind resources in the
analyzed region must precede them exploitation, as the results of this
evaluation play an essential role in selecting the wind farm’s location
[86,87]. A correct evaluation of these resources results in better per­
formance of the plant without damaging the turbines. These factors are
the following:
a) Wind Speed: the energy to be exploited by a wind farm depends
fundamentally on this attribute [15,56,73,75]. Wind speed is the rate
of movement of the air blowing towards a fixed location on the Earth.
The corresponding unit of measurement is the meter per second.
(m/s) [52]. The values are represented by the annual wind average of
the place [72], varying according to its altitude [52] and geography
[35]. In the spring and summer seasons, wind speed values are lower
than autumn and winter [76].
b) Wind Density: wind speed and density are composite indicators for
assessing wind energy resources in a given location [69]. It is the
annual average wind energy density above the surface [72]. It
measures the kinetic energy produced by the wind per square meter
in a given time (W/m2) [23,88].
c) Effective Wind Hours: it refers to an accumulated time of effective
use of the wind per year and the unit of measurement is in hours (h)
[52].
d) Wind Turbulence: it determines the wind turbine wear, directly
affecting the durability of the units [88]. This can impact the turbine
performance, reducing energy production, and even destroying
generators [69]. It is important to mention that this turbulence must
be less than the load on the generator wings [19].
3.2.5. Orographic
The orographic category includes geological and topographic con­
ditions of a location. These are essential properties when choosing the
location of wind farms [23]. The factors are as follows:
a) Slope: ideally, wind turbines should be built on completely hori­
zontal terrains, if this is not possible, this slope should be created [5],
which will require time, effort, increasing construction costs.
Although the very steep slopes areas have already been eliminated in
the restrictive factors, the cost can still vary considerably between
two locations with slopes of 1% and 10% [40]. That is, the lower the
terrain slope, the more apt it becomes.
b) Geographic Direction/Orientation: the wind towers must be aligned
with each other and positioned in relation to the wind direction, in
order to take better advantage of it [17], which must blow parallelly
towards the turbine and perpendicularly towards the wing­
s/propellers [19].
c) Soil Roughness: the wind speed decreases when the roughness of the
height of an obstacle increases [89]. Vegetations and buildings are
examples of roughness elements, while long smooth hills are not
because they do not increase the turbulence. In addition to the main
effect due to the presence of a hill, details of the surface, such as
shrubs, can significantly degrade the wind potential.
d) Plant Elevation: wind power plants are generally built at high alti­
tudes in order to exploit the greatest potential of certain regions [70].
G. Rediske et al.
There is a great potential for wind turbines in mountainous regions,
especially at higher altitudes and on the tops of these average range
mountains [90].
e) Geological Suitability: the appropriate geological condition of the
terrain is an important aspect of a site selection, as well as drawings
resulting from specialized geological/geotechnical surveys, aiming
at a safe establishment of the plant. Building plants on soft and weak
terrain can cause sinking and ruin the entire turbine structure [47].
3.2.6. Society
In terms of sustainable development, it must include not only envi­
ronmental and economic but also social issues [56]. Considering that the
development of wind farm projects depends on the location of wind
turbines, its acceptance and possible impacts and benefits to local
communities are often contested [91]. In order to better understand the
aspects involved in social acceptance, it is essential to investigate the
residents’ perceptions during the planning stage and also when the en­
ergy infrastructure is already built and operating [59]. The following
factors are covered in this category:
a) Public Acceptance: It is very important to inform about the intentions
of wind projects for the community, in order to have their trust and
increase the chances of success of it [91]. Thus, it is essential to
present the population susceptible to impacts, the scale of the proj­
ect, and a report of its potential impacts, as the lack of understanding
tends to create mistrust. Consequently, it is necessary to provide as
much information as possible about the planned project [13,70].
b) Electricity Demand: The choice of a wind farm location is influenced
by the region’s electricity demand. As the demand for electricity
increases, the more necessary a power plant becomes [69]. A short
distance between the electricity supply point and of the demand
reduces congestion in the transmission network and energy losses,
minimizing the cost of transmission through longer and more
expensive transmission lines [20].
c) Employment Generation: the creation of jobs in the region where the
plant will be installed is an element to be considered [59]. It helps to
reduce the unemployment rate and improves living standards in the
region [25]. This generation of job opportunities is one of the criteria
most valued by the local community, even if they are often
temporary.
d) Local Development: The region that hosts a large wind farm favors
the development of the local economy [56].
e) Stroboscopic Effect: it is the effect of the passage of light between the
blades, resulting in shadows flicker caused by the rotor blades in
motion. It is a phenomenon often listed by residents who live near
wind farms as one of the most inconvenient, especially at the
beginning and end of the day when the sun is lower in the sky [58].
This is due to the angle of the sun on the horizon and the relatively
long shadow around the wind farm. Intermittent shading can cause
discomfort in the neighbors, such as nausea and headaches, in
addition to affecting people with epilepsy.
3.2.7. The most cited relevant factors and their importance
All possible impacts can and should be subject to a prior analysis
when planning the plant’s implantation, in order to minimize environ­
mental risks and litigation involving landowners. These studies can use
specific computational tools for the simulation and measurement of
certain interference around the wind park, aiming to preserve the
environment and reduce impacts on fauna, wild flora, and people who
live near the wind turbines.
The factors raised during the review are the ones that in any way
influence the decision making when choosing the best location for a
large wind farm. The review includes worldwide publications, that is, it
covers studies from different countries, cultures, and climates. These
factors were listed to assist the researcher and investor about the aspects
that these studies consider to be decisive for a wind farm location.
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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293
However, it should be stressed that for an optimal choice, it is not
necessary to use all these variables. The determination of the aspects
considered depends on the place where the study is being conducted, so
it were listed the ones that are indicated as important in most of them.
Based on the analysis of the variables presented in Table 2, it is possible
to verify which are the 10 most recurring in site selection for wind farms
installation, not only because they are the most mentioned factors, but
also because they directly impact the plant’s efficiency and the accep­
tance by the population. Consequently, these 10 factors should receive
even more attention during the design phase; for this reason, we define
them as Determinant factors, as shown in Fig. 2. It is worth mentioning
that what makes these factors determinants are the choices about how
the variables are used, weighted, and deployed in the models by the
decision-makers, always taking into account the specificities of a given
location.
It is possible to observe in Fig. 2 that the “wind speed” factor is the
most determinant of all because, in a total of 58 articles, it is mentioned
in 41 of them. Thus, it is concluded that it must be considered in studies
that address site selection for wind farms construction [5,12,35,75,77].
The “wind density” is discussed in 22 researches, confirming that the
first step towards the establishment of a wind farm is the wind resource
assessment of the area [22,23,52,64]. For the wind energy to be
considered technically useable, its density must be greater than or equal
to 500 W/m2, at a height of 50 m, which requires a minimum wind
speed of 7–8 m/s [92].
The “distance to main roads” and “distance to power lines” were
cited by 20 studies, because the proximity between the plant and
highways reduces plant maintenance, the necessity of operations tech­
nician, and transportation costs of equipment [3,40]. Furthermore, the
proximity to the transmission lines decreases the high cost for imple­
menting new lines, besides avoiding energy loss due to the long distance
between the generation and consumption site [7,12,40]. The “slope”
and “land use” were found in 17 articles. The first is justified by the
unfeasibility of regions with high declivity due to the turbulence
generated [25], which would require high expenses with earthworks.
The second is related to the fact that when choosing a location, it is
important to analyze the land use, as these are aspects that directly
interfere in the structural planning of the project. The optimum areas for
the construction of a wind farm are those where there is no vegetation
cover and there is a high degree of alteration by human intervention [3].
The “Distance to urban areas” must be measured [35] because it is
important to maintain a safe distance from the residential areas, not
limiting its development. At the same time, the proximity also brings
several benefits, such as easy access to labor and accommodation to the
plant’s visitors. This factor was cited in 15 studies [3]. The generation of
electric energy through wind turbines causes several impacts and ben­
efits to society. The “Public acceptance” was listed in 13 articles that aim
to find out the local community opinions about the installation of this
project since the positive engagement of residents and local businesses
are extremely important. Among the negative impacts caused to the
neighborhood is “Noise pollution” [49,58], and it was found in 11
studies. This pollution occurs due to the rotor noise and varies according
to the equipment specifications. However, to avoid inconvenience to the
neighboring population, noise levels of turbines must meet the norms
and standards established by the current legislation. The “soil rough­
ness” was found in 10 studies. Generally, the authors study this aspect
because it affects the site wind potential, together with speed and wind
density.
There are a wide range of attributes when choosing a location.
However, it is highlighted those shown in Fig. 2, as they are the most
cited in the literature and classified by this study as the most de­
terminants for decision making. After identifying and analyzing the
restrictive, relevant, and determining factors for wind farm projects, the
next section discusses techniques capable of assisting in the analysis of
the information collected thus far.
G. Rediske et al.
Fig. 2. Determinant factors.
3.3. Methods for site selection
The site selection of a wind farm aims to maximize the potential of
energy generated, in addition to minimizing costs and impacts. This
process can address the factors mentioned above, which are technical,
economic, social, and environmental to determine whether the estab­
lished requirements are met. These variables are often conflicting and
require a balance between complex variables. Consequently, site selec­
tion is considered a complex decision-making problem, requiring the
analysis of these diverse elements using appropriate methods.
Therefore, increasing the range of knowledge of scientific methods
regarding site selection is becoming a significant issue in the wind sector
[35]. After reading the articles, it was observed that the works obtained
its results through three specific approaches: Multicriteria Decision
Making (MCDM), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and Statistical
Methods. In many cases, combinations of these approaches were used to
achieve the desired results. Another issue observed was in relation to the
studies that conducted sensitivity or validation analysis of the developed
models. These post-analyzes were performed by assigning different
weights to the variables, by tests with the model being applied in areas
with wind farms, or by using other MCDM methods to compare the re­
sults obtained with the one used initially. Table 3 presents the articles
with the specification of the methods applied and their respective
approach, as well as those studies that carried out both sensitivity and
validation analyzes. It should be noted that only 26 of ex ante modeling
studies of wind farm siting use methods and compose the results of
Table 3. Each method identified in the article was listed and described at
which stage of the process it was used. Some studies indicated the
approach they had used but did not specify the method. Consequently, in
these cases, the approach was pointed out, but it was not possible to
specify the method.
Decision problems vary depending on the solution status and
methods used [24]. In cases where there are a large number of con­
flicting elements, generally, the problem will be known as a MCDM one.
Multicriteria methods have been systematically used to solve
decision-making problems since they seek to clarify the possibilities of
choices to the decision-maker. They support the decision-making pro­
cess based on the existing data, incorporating agents’ values, in the
search for the best solution. These methods have become an important
tool for issues related to localization, due to its ability to provide
adequate solutions. The analyzes are carried out using MCDM methods
that compare different items according to its performance, in order to
choose the best wind farm location [3].
During the systematic review, studies on the application of MCDM
methods were identified, for example, in Saudi Arabia, it was used Vi­
sual PROMETHEE method to establish the location preference for a wind
farm among five possible areas. This approach provides flexibility for
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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293
decision-makers, as it considers all criteria and objectives, simulta­
neously [22]. On the other hand, the ELECTRE-II method was used in
China to assess the locations of seven hybrid/solar power plants put into
operation [69]. Wang et al. [65] presented in their article a MCDM
approach in diffuse environments for selecting wind farms location in
Vietnam. A hybrid Fuzzy-Hierarchical Process Analysis model was
proposed to determine the weight of each potential location, and the
TOPSIS approach to classify these alternatives. Another hybrid method
found in the review was the AHP-SMAA and the objective was to select
the ideal location for the implementation of the wind farm. The authors
also applied them separately, in order to observe and compare the re­
sults of each method [12]. AHP was also applied without being com­
bined with other methods, being used, for example, to calculate criterion
weights to evaluate four potential sites in Pakistan [24]. AHP with a
mode of measurement of comparison in pairs is one of the most used in
studies of site selection for wind farms, appearing in this review in 11
out of 26 studies.
In many cases, site selection for wind farms requires the combination
of MCDM and GIS methods [46]. These are the two most commonly
decision support tools used to collect, analyze, model, and present
geographic data. The use of GIS enables the organization, storage,
manipulation, analysis, and modeling of large amounts of data linked to
a matrix in form of a spatial reference [3]. It is possible to analyze with
this tool, the overlay maps where several layers of information are
processed, with logical and mathematical operators to obtain ideal lo­
cations. Many GIS softwares permit the user to intervene using some
programming language, in order to adapt the application’s functions to
some specific user need that is not directly addressed by the applica­
tions. ArcGis and GvSig are the most used software to help with
localization.
As a result of the analysis made by the present review, eight studies
had this combination of MCDM and GIS to investigate locations for plant
installation. A study in Iran used a combination of ANP and DEMATEL
methods in a GIS environment. Multicriteria methods were used to
determine the relations and weights of the criteria, while for the GIS, 13
layers of information were used in environmental, technical, and eco­
nomic aspects, generating an aptitude map of the areas from the least to
the most adequate [46]. In the same line of research, a second study
applied in Western Turkey used ArcGIS software to generate layers of
data and apply the criteria of elimination and restrictions. After this
process, the evaluation of available sites was carried out with three
MCDM techniques, in order to provide different perspectives to in­
vestors. These techniques are as follows: ELECTRE III for ranking,
ELECTRE-TRI for sorting, and SMAA-TRI for sorting under uncertainty.
The study also used the AHP to determine the weights of the criteria
[40]. Another study, also conducted in Turkey, applied the GIS to
investigate possible suitable locations for hybrid solar/wind power
G. Rediske et al.
Table 3
Methods for site selection.
plants and the AHP to find the best alternative for both energies, iden­
tifying different criteria, and determining its relative importance [51].
Statistical Analysis Techniques were other techniques that stood out
in the systematic review for helping choose the location for wind farms
installation, as they were present in 8 studies out of the total presented in
Table 3. Statistical tests can be implemented in software, streamlining
the treatment, and generating more accurate information to support
decision making, thus creating a competitive advantage. Statistics
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Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293
contributes significantly to the decision-making process, since most of
the information to be analyzed is quantitative. This tool can be used
where there is uncertainty. Statistics consist of planning, collecting,
consistency, tabulation, analysis, and interpretation of research data
involving censuses or sample surveys.
The choice of a location and the statistical characterization of wind
speed represent the most significant variable in the process of building
wind farms [64]. The knowledge of the temporal variation of the wind
speed and direction over a year are the factors with the greatest impact
on the economic profitability of this kind of project [64]. Several
probabilistic distributions can be used to represent wind flow, including
Weibull and Raylegh, which are commonly used by studies of wind
speed for energy production [41]. In northwestern Iran, researchers
applied the Weibull to model wind flow using real weather data, used in
the System Advisor Model (SAM) software to calculate the capacity
factor for the three most promising regions of the study at three different
mast heights [18]. In prioritizing suitable locations for wind turbine
installations among five different cities in Eastern Azerbaijan, the Wei­
bull distribution function was used to analyze wind data and calculate
wind energy density, due to its flexibility and favorable accuracy [5]. As
the probabilistic distributions have the function of representing the wind
flow for the site selection, usually, these tools are combined with others,
as well as the authors who used Anderson Petersen (AP) of Double Data
Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to prioritize the locations and the Nu­
merical Taxonomy (NT) method to assess the validity of the dual AP
model [5]. Like the Weibull, the Raleigh distribution was also applied in
location methodologies to determine the annual wind characteristics
and its influence on the available energy, with the results being verti­
cally extrapolated using the power law, enabling a comparative study
between the two locations, in order to know the evolution of wind speed
at altitudes with energy potential [64].
Multivariable methods are often used to validate MCDM methodol­
ogies. In a research conducted in continental Ecuador that combined
GIS-MCDM to identify sites. In it, the authors used Pearson’s correlation
coefficient to analyze the mutual correspondence between multicriteria
decision-making methods [3]. As a localization study carried out in Iran,
in which the DEA model was used in the evaluation of sites and two
multivariable methods that were Principal Component Analysis (PCA)
and Numerical Taxonomy (NT) to validate the results found by the DEA
model [47]. In another study conducted in the Indonesian archipelago,
the hierarchical fuzzy DEA model was used to identify suitable locations,
with PCA being used to verify the importance of the factors that can
reduce the ineffective indicators of the analysis [35]. Recently, PCA has
been used in different applications to reduce ineffective indicators and
also as a classification methodology to determine the efficiency of
different units [47].
Another aspect that draws attention is the concern of researchers to
carry out analyzes, not only to validate the models developed, but also
sensitivity analyses to test under different conditions the variables
assigned to the selection of optimal locations. Among the 26 articles
analyzed (Table 3), 15 of them present some of these analyzes, with both
being frequently performed. In the study by Mostafaeipour et al. [5] a
sensitivity analysis is carried out by removing the criteria one by one
from the model, in order to verify the impact that each one has in a
specific city after this process. The NT method is used to validate the
Dual DEA model, with the results being compared and presenting a high
consistency index, which confirms the validity of the method. Another
study that used both analyzes is the one by Nie et al. [93], concluding
that a sensitivity analysis assigning different values to the parameters,
and a validation analysis comparing different methods for
decision-making ended up affecting the final results of the site selection
for installing wind farms.
However, other studies use either sensitivity or validation analyzes.
In this context, validation analyzes are often associated with the appli­
cation of two or more MCDM methods, such as ANP-DEMATEL, with
ANP to test the hybrid model [46]; AHP-SMAA and both themselves are
G. Rediske et al.
methods used separately to obtain three different results and to allow
the comparison. In this case, the results showed the same region as the
ideal location [12]; Authors conclude that as the classification of cities
with Intuitionist Fuzzy TOPSIS and Fuzzy TOPSIS was not the same in
both methods, it is very important to weigh the opinions of
decision-makers on the result [23]. Although the study by Atici et al.
[40] that used three MCDM methods for validation presented a high
level of consensus on the most viable locations for installing wind farms.
Another way to validate the modeling is by comparing locations where
wind farms are already installed and the forecast production of the
System [18,43]. On the other hand, Sensitivity analyzes are linked to
changes in criteria weights. This can be done in the GIS software itself
[58]; by a new weighting carried out by specialists, changing the
weights according to certain scenarios [53]; or changing the weights by
the researchers themselves based on their knowledge, in order to assess
deviations in the ranking of wind farm locations [22]. Many studies,
such as those presented in this review, are using different scientific
methods, sometimes even combined with each other to select sites for
installing wind farms. Therefore, increasing the range of knowledge
regarding these site selection methods is becoming a significant issue in
the wind sector, being a differentiating attribute for everyone involved
in this process, including researchers, investors, entities government,
and even society.
4. Conclusions
Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing and exploitable markets,
requiring studies that guarantee greater efficiency in the production of
electric energy, in technical, environmental, social, and economic terms.
Therefore, identifying the most appropriate location for installing the
plants is an essential step in wind energy projects. To this end, this paper
presented an exhaustive systematic literature review with a critical and
in-depth evaluation of published research involving the necessary in­
formation to assist the researcher regarding the restrictive and relevant
factors in choosing an optimal location for installing a wind farm. In
addition to this result, this review enabled the identification of the
methods used for different scientific applications, as well as the sensi­
tivity and validation models analyzes. The knowledge of these concepts
guide designers and investors in the accurate evaluation of the pro­
duction capacity. The main findings are:
• The site selection for installing wind farms begins with the removal
of inappropriate areas through the analysis of restrictive factors,
respecting the laws of each region. In this context, we have identified
20 restrictive factors, and the ones referring to protected areas, wa­
tercourses, and species migration routes were the most listed in the
literature.
• Once inappropriate sites are removed, the site selection process
should prioritize optimal areas for installing wind farms. We have
identified 30 relevant factors at this stage, and they were allocated
according to their impact characteristics in six perspectives: ambie­
tal, location, economic, meteorological, orographic, and society.
Since they are factors from researches at a global level, and auto­
matically based on different regions, climates, and legislation, they
may not always be met. However, it is up to decision makers to
analyze which factors should be applied in the models.
• We evidenced that of the 10 relevant factors most cited by the
studies, three of them are related to society: “distance to urban
areas”, “public acceptance”, “noise pollution”, which highlights the
importance of also considering social factors in the construction of
wind farms.
• Twenty-six studies are classified as ex ante wind farm location
modeling, and therefore, the methods to solve these location prob­
lems could be evaluated. Three approaches were verified: MCDM in
21 papers, GIS in 11 papers, and Statistic in 7 papers. Furthermore,
11
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 148 (2021) 111293
15 studies conducted post-analysis to analyze the sensitivity and
evaluate their models.
This study helps researchers and players in the wind sector to iden­
tify locations for projects that have significant technical performance,
associated with a low installation cost and less environmental impact. It
also plays an important role as a systematic knowledge-based guide for
future research to assist in locating ideal locations for wind farms.
Furthermore, considering that this study focused only on wind power, if
future research considers other renewable sources, or even hybrid sys­
tems, the conclusion of this study will a step forward to guarantee more
economical and better-performing projects.
Research funding
This work was supported by the National Institute of Science and
Technology in Distributed Generation (INCTGD), and the financing
agencies (CNPq process 465,640/2014–1, CAPES process No.
23038.000776/2017–54 and FAPERGS 17/2551-0000517-1). Siluk was
supported by a research grant of CNPq – Brasil (CNPq process Siluk No.
311926/2017–7).
Declaration of competing interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank INCTGD, CAPES, CNPq and FAPERGS for the
financial support received for the development of this work.
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