Saeedeh Nasehi
Nasehi Karimi
Giti Nouri

Unique features of wind energy have caused increasing demands for such resources in various countries. In order to use wind energy as a natural resource, environmental circumstances and geographical location related to the wind intensity must be considered. Different factors may effect on the selection of a suitable location for wind plants. In this research criteria such as: Wind speed, Wind power density, roads, water resources, urban areas, agricultural lands, protected areas, airport, flood lines, coastlines and slopes were used and splatted into three categories, environmental, technical and economic. Then, the possibility of establishing wind farms in East Azerbaijan province in northeastern Iran was assessed by using a combination of fuzzy geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytic Network Process (ANP). The objectives of this paper are site selection based on the fuzzy logic and weighted linear combination (WLC). In this way after identification, valuation of criteria layers by using fuzzy method because of their uncertainty and determined their importance, the layers combined. Overall, the results showed that the combination of fuzzy logic, WLC and MCDM have a high accuracy and positioning in locating optimal solar sites. Final map was divided into five classes: most suitable, suitable, moderately suitable, poorly suitable, and unsuitable. Results showed that northern and western parts aren’t suitable for establishing wind power plant while Eastern and central parts are the most appropriate and suitable site for it. But more specific results of this study indicate that some areas in Haris, Ahar, Mianeh and Bostan Abad have a higher potential in this regard.

Wind power plant, Fuzzy GIS, ANP, East Azerbaijan province, criteria