Use of multicriteria analysis and GIS for selecting sites for onshore wind farms: the case of Andros Island (Greece)

Since wind power is one of the most promising sources of Renewable Energy (RES), the number of wind farms installed around the worldis constantly increasing. The aim of this paper is to develop a mechanism for determining and evaluating the suitability of areas for sitingwind farms, using a combination of Multi-criteria Data Analysis and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This study was carried out onthe island of Andros, Greece. The process involved a four-step gradual exclusion of unsuitable areas for siting wind farms and an evaluationof compatible areas using criteria both from this country’s institutional framework and international literature. During the evaluation ofavailable areas, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), pairwise comparison is used in which the weightings were determined bya group of experts. Despite the very favourable wind conditions on Andros, only a small percentage of its total area was given a high scorefor siting wind farms, due to the strict constraints imposed. The proposed methodology for the optimum siting of wind parks can be used inany study area and at any planning scale (local, regional, national level).