An Objective Site Selection Framework for Wind Farms from a Sustainable Development Standpoint

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are targets proposed by the United Nations to guide member nations toward a better future. While Brazil has made significant strides in its energy transition, it has struggled to make comparable progress on social issues. This paper presents a novel approach to wind farm site selection that aims to sustain advancements in renewable energy while addressing lagging social goals. The proposed framework employs the CRITIC (CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation) and MABAC (Multi-Attributive Border Approximation area Comparison) methods to ensure objectivity, robustness, and simplicity. Applied to the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the framework highlighted areas with high wind potential and significant social and environmental needs, indicating that current site selection practices may overlook locations offering broader societal benefits. The study's results emphasize the importance of integrating social and environmental criteria into energy planning to achieve a more balanced and equitable development.