Abstract
The objective of this paper is to devise a strategy for developing a flexible tool to efficiently install a marine energy farm in a suitable area. The current methodology is applied to marine tidal current, although it can be extended to other energy contexts with some adaptations. We introduce a three-step approach that searches for marine farm sites and technological solutions. The methodology applied is based on a combination of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), multi-criteria analysis (MCA) and an optimization algorithm. The integration of GIS and MCA is at the core of the search process for the best-suited marine areas, taking into account geographical constraints, such as human activity, pressure on the environment and technological opportunities. The optimization step of the approach evaluates the most appropriate technologies and farm configurations in order to maximize the quantity of energy produced while minimizing the cost of the farm. Three main criteria are applied to finally characterize a location for a marine energy farm: the global cost of the project, the quantity of energy produced and social acceptance. The social acceptance criterion is evaluated by the MCA method, Electre III, while the optimization of the energy cost is approximated by a genetic algorithm. The whole approach is illustrated by a case study applied to a maritime area in North-West France.
Highlights
Marine renewable energy has recently been a subject of increasing interest, as oceans have a tremendous amount of energy available close to many population areas [1]
As for the previous steps and before applying the optimization algorithm, a multi-criteria map has to be built by taking into account the geographical constraints involved in the estimation of the cost and energy
The research presented in this paper introduces an approach whose objective is to find the most suitable sites and marine farm preliminary design
Summary
Marine renewable energy has recently been a subject of increasing interest, as oceans have a tremendous amount of energy available close to many population areas [1]. When the installation of a marine converter farm is planned, the objective is to extract the maximum energy from the resource, while minimizing additional costs, environmental and social impacts. In order to maximize the extracted energy, the choice of the most appropriate technology for a given farm site is essential, as well as finding the best site for a given technology. The choice of a technical option (e.g., generator, turbine, drive train) may affect the quantity of produced energy, as well as the cost of the energy production
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