Wind Resource Land Mapping using ArcGIS, WAsP and Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)

The wind power potential in India estimated by the Centre for Wind Energy Technology (CWET), Chennai, India using a meso scale model at 50 m level is around 48,581 MW. This is based on the assumption that 1% of wind resource land is available for wind farm development. Subsequently the installable capacity was reevaluated at an 80 m level on an assumption that 2% of wind resource land is available and this was found to be around 1,02,788 MW. Even though this was the best attempt and effort a more precise estimation of the wind potential land in India considering the wind resource, electrical grid infrastructure, physical, socioeconomic and environment factors would improve the estimation accuracy. The wind resource land has been found to be around 15% in this study by using WAsP, ArcGIS tools and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) techniques.