Determination of the installation sites of wind power plants with spatial analysis: A model proposal

Abstract

Energy is an indispensable element in the continuity of life. The rapidly growing world population and increasing demand for energy have led people to seek new sources of energy other than scarce fossil resources. As the need for energy increases, energy production studies are increasing. Energy production is not only made for purposes of profit, but also for the continuity of the energy, the conditions of acquisition, the impact on the environment, etc. Therefore, the trend towards sustainable energy resources is increasing day by day. Wind energy, which is one of the most important renewable energy sources, is considered as a sustainable source that is open to development and development in the field of energy production with an increasing rate. Wind energy is a type of energy suitable for investing in electrical energy production. This study focuses on the selection of the power plant site in the establishment phase, which is one of the most important cost issues in obtaining energy from the wind. The choice of location was made by the use of ArcGIS and an integer programming model. For the wind farm site selection, 11 criteria were determined and alternative four regions which are in Konya province were determined with ArcGIS. The site selection was made by using an integer programming model based on cost minimization within appropriate alternative regions that provide the criteria. According to the model solution the total number of turbines to be installed is sixty-five. Twenty-six of these turbines will be installed in the 1 st region and thirty-nine of these turbines will be installed in the 2nd region.