Integrating Local Knowledge into the Spatial Analysis of Wind Power: The case study of Northern Tzoumerka, Greece

Abstract: Increasing demand for incorporating renewable energy projects into the national energy mix, is associated with international and European efforts to tackle the negative effects of climate change and strengthen energy resilience. Greece, as a member country of the European Union, has acknowledged that necessity, by implementing a national program aiming to significantly reduce Green House Gas Emissions and upscale Renewable Energy Sources (RES) project development in upcoming years. Wind farms are considered a major contributor to Renewable Energy Sources deployment due to their technological maturity and know-how, as well as to their ability to support a more sustainable and environmentally oriented energy production model. Nevertheless, their rapid growth has urged developers to look for new areas of installation, as an endeavor facing spatial planning limitations and public opposition. In Greece, such areas include, among others, by mountainous regions. The aim of this study is to investigate and assess the wind power suitability of a mountainous municipality in Western Greece. This is possible by incorporating a comprehensive fuzzy GIS-Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach that aims at minimizing environmental impacts, while incorporating the input provided by local stakeholders and decision-makers. The proposed methodology forms a set of constraint criteria, which identify exclusion zones. The spatial dimension of local stakeholders’ input was recorded through interviews, and then, utilized as a filter in this exclusion analysis. It was indicated that the exclusion character of the inputs gathered, was connected to the type of their activity. Six evaluation criteria were identified, which assessed the remaining availability areas based on weights derived from fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Results of this analysis, indicate that only a very small portion of the municipality is suitable for wind farm development. This research suggests that the proposed framework and its outcomes could be utilized as a consultation tool by decision-makers in the future.