Optimal Wind Farm Site Selection Using MCDM Approaches: A Combination of the VIMM Weighting Method and TOPSIS Ranking Algorithm

Abstract

Wind turbines are currently one of the world’s most commonly employed renewable energy generation technologies. The selection of an optimal wind farm site might be challenging considering the variety of site possibilities in the same region. Using the second scenario of a novel subjective and goal-oriented weighting technique called the VitalImmaterial and Mediocre MCDM Method, this study presents an optimal wind farm site selection methodology, considering three main objectives: biological conservation, safety during production, and durability, which are weighted by a pair-wise comparison based on the opinion of decision-makers. Moreover, this paper gathers eight criteria, including earthquakes and seismic activity. This study also examines four wind farm site possibilities using the TOPSIS MCDM approach. This investigation found identical ranking outcomes between the TOPSIS and COPRAS ranking methods.