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Published on: December 12, 2013
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Land Resources for Wind Energy Development Requires Regionalized Characterizations
Tao Dai1,2, Jeya Maria Jose Valanarasu3, Yifan Zhao4
1School of Advanced International Studies, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, District of Columbia 20036, United States.
Environmental Science & Technology
|March 4, 2024
Summary
Accurate wind energy land use estimates are crucial. This study uses machine learning and GIS to quantify land transformation and efficiency, revealing that less human-modified areas yield better results for wind projects.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Renewable Energy Technology
- Geographic Information Systems
Background:
- Estimates of land area occupied by wind energy vary significantly due to data limitations and inconsistent methodologies.
- Accurate quantification of land use is essential for efficient wind project development and comparison with other energy sources.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply a novel method for consistently quantifying the land area and impact of wind energy projects.
- To assess the influence of prior land use and human modification on wind energy land-use efficiency and land transformation.
Main Methods:
- Combined machine learning-based imagery analysis with geographic information systems (GIS).
- Analyzed 318 wind farms (15,871 turbines) in the U.S. Western Interconnection.
- Utilized buffered geometry as a proxy for peripheral turbine impact assessment.
Main Results:
- Wind projects in areas with low human modification show higher land-use efficiency (63.8 ± 8.9 W/m²) and lower land transformation (0.24 ± 0.07 m²/MWh).
- Projects in highly modified areas exhibit significantly greater land-use efficiency (447 ± 49.4 W/m²) but lower land transformation (0.05 ± 0.01 m²/MWh).
- The developed method reduces workload by over 99% compared to traditional approaches.
Conclusions:
- A replicable method for consistent land resource quantification in wind energy is established.
- Prior land use is a critical factor influencing the land-use efficiency and transformation of wind projects.
- The findings support regionalized impact assessments and improved comparisons of renewable energy alternatives.
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