Site selection of wind power plants using AHP and Vikor decision making methods in geographic information system (GIS)(Case study: Fars Province)

The use of wind power plants is considered as one of the most important ways of generating electricity using renewable energies. The environmental impact of the environment is low compared to other methods and the potential for extensive exploitation, including the benefits of using wind energy in electricity production. In this regard, it is necessary to find the optimal location for deploying equipment and facilities to exploit existing and potential potentials. The purpose of this research is wind power plants site selection in Fars province using AHP and ranking the spatial options using the Vikor method. In this study, we tried to prioritize the location of wind power plants based on effective technical, environmental and socioeconomic measures using the AHP decision making model. At first, the required data were collected and prepared in the GIS environment. Then, using AHP method, the two criteria were compared and then weighted, and finally, using the Vikor method, the priority was drawn between the final locations. The results of this research show that among the criteria in the research, the technical criteria (wind speed, wind stability and wind density) are more important and have a higher weight (0.731), and the wind speed 0.594) is the most important factor. The results of the Vikor model showed that the northern and eastern regions of the Fars province have a good potential for wind energy. Abadeh, Eqlid and Neyriz are the right places to build a wind power plant in other parts of the province.