Site Selection for Wind Power Plants Using ANP-OWA Model (Case Study of Zanjan Province, Iran)

The use of wind power plants have been considered as one of the most important ways of electricity production using renewable energy. The lack of adequate wind power facilities has caused governmental agencies to increase the number of these facilities. In this regard, it is essential to determine suitable locations to establish the wind power equipment. GIS is a useful tool to convey and present information by overlaying geographically referenced data. Integrating of geographic information system (GIS) and multi criteria decision analysis methods (MCDM) provides an empowerment tool to site selection. The multi criteria decision analysis methods help us to make the best choose from different spatial alternatives based on multiple criteria. Analytic network process (ANP) is one (MCDM) method that is a generalization of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The main innovation of the ANP is its network structure, which enables interactions between elements situated in different clusters and dependencies between the elements in the same cluster to be taken into account, in fact (ANP) has been used to overcome interdependence and feedback problems between criteria or alternatives. OWA is a multi-criteria evaluation procedure. The OWA-based method allows participants to define a decision strategy on a continuum between pessimistic and optimistic strategies. The (OWA) operators, provide a very general framework for making the kinds of local aggregations used in the (ANP). In order to create a general and powerful decision-making tool, it seems natural to try to merge these two techniques together. Objective of this paper is integrating the Analytical Network Process (ANP) and the Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) for the site selection of wind power plants. In this study, we used a multiple-criteria decision analysis approach; the Analytical Network Process (ANP) and the Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) to prioritize the suitable sites for the wind power plants. First (step 1) overlaying process was done on GIS using 12 data layers in three main criteria including: environmental, technical and economical, the land suitability map was produced and by using this map 12 suitable site was selected for the wind power plants. In step 2; weights of the criteria were determined using ANP, In the ANP process constructed a network model that captures the criteria and their relationships, then attributes were pairwise compared to their relative importance towards their control attribute according to interdependency between attributes (outer/inner) relationships and at the last was determined super matrix and attributes final weight. In step 3; the alternatives scores obtained from the ANP-OWA model, in this process for each alternative, the attributes weight that obtained from ANP, ordered based on the attribute value, order weight computed by using the equation, then the ordered value and ordered weight multiplied by together, finally the sum of their will be score of the interest alternative. To apply the different degree of risk we changed the value of or-ness on the ordered weight equation. By using the ANP-OWA model we can be able to obtain different result of due to optimism and pessimism and can generate many maps with different risk levels. Finally the wind power plants alternatives were prioritized in the different risk levels.