Use of Analytic Hierarchy Process for Wind Farm Installation Region Prioritization–Case Study
Rômulo Lemos Bulhões, Eudemario Souza de Santana, Alex Álisson Bandeira Santos
Abstract
Electricity generation via renewable sources is emerging as a possible solution to meet the growing demand for electricity worldwide. Additionally, the need to produce clean energy, with little or no pollutants or greenhouse gas emission is paramount. Due to these factors, wind farms are noticeably increasing in number, especially in Brazil. However, the vast size of the country and the poor quality of its infrastructure are among several factors that make it difficult for effective decision-making to accelerate the growth of this segment in Brazil. With the purpose of assisting government agencies, regulatory agencies and other institutions in this area, the use of a multi-criteria selection method called the analytic hierarchy process is proposed here to assist in decision-making and to select priority regions for implementing wind farms. This work focuses on a case study of the state of Bahia, in which 27 territories were selected for an installation priority evaluation. Computational tools were used to hierarchize these chosen territories, including Matlab, for the construction of the computational algorithm. The results indicate the priority pf the regions according to the established criteria, which allows installation locations to be mapped—these could serve as a basis for regional investment.