GIS-AHP Based Wind Power Plant Site Selection Analysis: A Case Study of Şarköy (Tekirdağ)

The population increase trend in Türkiye, unite with the rapidly growing urbanization process and economic development increases the demand for energy every passing day. The circumstance obligates the achievement of sustainability in energy production in Türkiye, a country poor in fossil fuel resources. Investments such as wind power plants to be held on a local scale are one of the steps that will be beneficial both in meeting energy demand and maintain continuity. In this regard, the main objective of the study is to determine suitable areas for the installation of wind power plants (WPP) in the Şarköy district of Tekirdağ and to offer a suggestion to investors and decision makers. In this research analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has been used in an integrated manner. A pairwise comparison matrix table was prepared for the criteria determined in accordance with different experts opinons in the literature and criteria weightings were made. Additionally, suitable areas for wind farm installation in Şarköy were identified via the transfer and analysis of data obtained from various establishments and open sources into a GIS environment. The findings acquired from the study shows that the wind speed is the most affecting criteria in WPP site selection. Especially in the north and northeast of the district, wind speed averages reach the maximum level. Therefore, surface shapes such as hilltops and ridges, where criteria like slope and land use are also convenient, are highly suitable for WPP construction. Particularly the north of Ucmakdere, Güzelköy and Gaziköy neighborhoods are the areas with the most favorable potential. The “less suitable” and “suitable” areas for WPP installation show a heterogeneous distribution throughout the district. On the other hand, a three-dimensional turbine model was used in the study, and twelve wind turbines were placed on four sample sites determined to be “highly suitable” for WPP construction and their coordinates were given. The AHP method used in the study provides consistent results and its functionality in this type of analysis has also been revealed. The findings obtained from the study offers a guiding framework to investors and decisions makers. It will be possible to obtain expressive results by conducting appropriate technical and economic analyses.