Refining wind and solar potential maps through spatial multicriteria assessment. Case study: Colombia

Despite the abundance of energy resource assessments for wind and solar power around the globe, the existing studies seldom integrate the environmental restrictions into the analysis, which results in overestimation of the available resources. Existing potential maps show that wind and solar resources are abundant in Colombia, but these studies do not consider the multiple restrictions developers face when a project is considered. This paper proposes a methodology to determine the areas with the best characteristics to develop wind and photovoltaic solar farms in Colombia, using Geographic Information Systems that depict the distribution of the physical, biotic, economic, cultural, and political characteristics restricting or conditioning the implementation of these projects. To consider financial performance, the LCOE associated with each location was subsequently calculated, and the environmental characteristics were assessed through interviews with a group of experts. Maps were developed where the areas with potential can be viewed, classified according to their profitability and the ease of developing a project at that location. The most promising locations for wind and solar farms for the continental territory of Colombia were determined integrating levels of difficulty in the environmental management, and financial project performance. The results were unified in a tool useful for stakeholders, decisionmakers, researchers, and investors, in which basically no technical knowledge is required for its interpretation. The results allow estimating the real installable potential in each technology throughout the Colombian territory and providing signals for the national interconnected system (SIN) on where the country's new energy developments are expected to take place.

Automated summary

This paper proposes a methodology to determine the best areas for wind and solar farm development in Colombia, considering environmental restrictions and financial performance. Maps were developed to show the potential areas and the feasibility and profitability of projects. The results provide valuable information for stakeholders, decision-makers, and investors.