Location Optimization of Wind Plants Using DEA and Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision Making: A Case Study in Vietnam

The objective of the present paper is to develop a systematic and sustainability-focused evaluation framework to determine the best locations for wind plants in Vietnam. For the decision-making that influences wind plant site selection, while some criteria can be evaluated based on a numerical database, numerous qualitative criteria must be under experts’ judgments in the form of linguistic terms and can be represented through fuzzy numbers. In this direction, a two-phase framework of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methodologies using the merits of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP), and Fuzzy Weighted Aggregated Sum-Product Assessment (FWASPAS) is proposed for the first time. In the first phase using DEA, the most potential locations regarding their efficiency on various quantitative criteria are selected. These locations are further assessed in the second phase in terms of qualitative criteria viz. technical, economic, environmental, and socio-political factors. For this evaluation, FAHP was used for criteria weighting, and FWASPAS ranks the provinces. A comparison with the existing locations, sensitivity analysis of criteria, and comparative analysis of methods are performed to support the outcomes of the proposed work. The results illustrate that all methods reach common rankings, in which Binh Thuan province got the highest rank. This shows that the applied models are robust in nature. Implementation of the proposed approach can enable governments and stakeholders to save costs and make the most out of resources in the planning phase of wind power plants or any other renewable energy projects.