A Comparative Analysis Based on GIS and Fuzzy MCDM Approaches Case Study: Offshore Wind Site Selection in the Gulf of Maine

Abstract

The site selection process to optimize renewable facilities has become a relevant issue, mainly due to the variability of such resources. Among the different solutions, Geographic Information Systems in combination with fuzzy logic and Multi-Criteria Decision Making approaches provide a consistent tools to solve these complex decision problems. Moreover, the versatility of GIS software has led to the generation of spatial analysis extensions, such as the fuzzy membership tool transforming the input data into real numbers that belongs to the unit interval. In this work, a comparative study between fuzzy membership tool of ArcGIS software and a combination of the fuzzy MCDM methodologies (AHP-TOPSIS) is applied to optimize the offshore wind site selection. A case study based on the offshore wind resource in the Gulf of Maine is also included and discussed.