Enhancing wind turbine site selection through a novel wake penalty criterion

Abstract

In this study, a novel approach that incorporates the wake effect as a penalty criterion within the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method is proposed. The research introduces the wake penalty criterion for the first time, considering both existing and newly located turbines. The results demonstrate the impact of the wake effect and identify areas with varying wake penalties. A comprehensive suitability analysis is conducted using AHP and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques, resulting in a suitability map for wind turbine site selection. The analysis considers seven criteria, including the novel wake penalty criterion. The suitability map reveals a distribution of suitability ranges, with 73.8% of the total area excluded due to various constraints. Additionally, a comparative analysis is performed by excluding the wake penalty criterion, highlighting the contrasting effects of wake on turbine placement. Case studies in the Karaburun and Çeşme regions of İzmir further illustrate the influence of wake on turbine clusters and their alignment with prevailing wind directions. The findings indicate that the inclusion of wake effects provides a more precise and realistic depiction of viable wind turbine site selection. This is evident in the reduction of 55.5% and 18.6% in the most suitable region (80–100% suitability) and highly suitable region (60–80% suitability), respectively.