Balancing Stakeholders’ Perspectives for Sustainability: GIS-MCDM for Onshore Wind Energy Planning

Delmaria Richards, Helmut Yabar, Takeshi Mizunoya, Randy Koon Koon, Gia Hong Tran, Yannick Esopere

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Abstract

This study supports Jamaica’s renewable energy implementation strategies by providing updated wind atlases and identifying suitable locations for future wind farms. Using a GIS-based Analytic Hierarchy Process with multi-criteria decision-making (AHP-MCDM), this research integrates stakeholders’ opinions, environmental considerations, and technical factors to assess land suitability for wind energy development. The analysis reveals that Jamaica has the potential to increase its wind power output by 8.99% compared to the current production of 99 MW. This expansion could significantly contribute to offsetting fossil fuel-based energy consumption and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. It identifies sites across several parishes, including Westmoreland, Clarendon, St. Mary, and St. James, as highly suitable for utility-scale wind farm development. By providing detailed spatial information and estimated energy outputs, this research offers valuable insights for energy planners, investors, and policymakers to create sustainable energy policies and advance Jamaica’s 50% renewable energy goal by 2030.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages41
JournalSustainability
Volume16
Issue number22
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 19 Nov 2024

Bibliographical note

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Keywords

  • environmental evaluation
  • geographic information system (GIS)
  • multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM)
  • carbon dioxide emission reduction
  • spatial energy systems planning

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