Aggregating GIS and MCDM to Optimize Wave Energy Converters Location in Tasmania, Australia

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to develop a framework to guide Wave Energy Converters (WECs) sites using the coastal waters of Tasmania as a case study. This chapter proposes a combined two-stage Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methodology to determine suitable locations for WECs siting with overlapping and minimal conflicting uses. A methodology combining MCDM and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) was developed combining the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Priority rankings for each of the human uses and ocean features were prioritized using AHP and were then applied to TOPSIS analyses. A chain of optimal locations were determined, stretching from the southwest to southeast coast of Tasmania, where presently low densities of human activities overlap with high wave height. The result shows that suitable areas for harnessing WECs may not always be located in the highest wave energy areas.