MCDM and GIS based modelling technique for assessment of solar and wind farm locations in India

In the recent past, various factors have led to an increase in the use of renewable energy sources, among which, the depleting fossil fuel reserves, increasing fuel prices, and rising environmental concerns are the most prominent. With this increasing reliance on renewable energy sources, a proper assessment of the suitable sites becomes necessary for the optimum utilization of these resources. The present study investigates the spatial suitability of the solar and wind farms locations in India based on the technical, economic, and socio-environmental perspectives. The analysis is performed with the coupled use of the Geographical Information System (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approaches. Analysis of present research work shows that 4.13% of the study area (133,874 km(2)) is highly suitable for the deployment of solar plants while 0.91% of the total area (29,457 km(2)) is highly suitable for the wind farms. The study further concludes that the Rajasthan state in India has the highest suitable land for the installation of solar plants (20,881 km(2)) as well as wind farms (6323 km(2)). The proposed model can be used for the development of policies related to renewable energy resources and the assessment of suitability of already sanctioned projects. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.