The role of GIS mapping in multi-criteria decision analysis in informing the location and design of renewable energy projects - A systematic review

Use of Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping in tandem with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) has become increasingly common as a means of determining the optimal location and design of renewable energy projects. However, to date, no attempt has been made to synthesise the location and design specific criteria currently evaluated within GIS-MCDA studies on renewable energy technologies. This study thus conducts a systematic literature review, using the Search Appraisal, Synthesis and Analysis (SALSA) framework, in order to gain better understanding about the breadth of design and location-specific assessment criteria employed in GIS-MCDA studies relating to renewable energy projects. It addresses three renewable energy technologies: hydropower, geothermal, and onshore wind power. This focus has a particular policy relevance as these renewable energy options are the types implemented in Iceland, where there is a Master Plan for Nature Protection and Utilization that determines strategic suitability. The study's results, which derive from a total of 57 articles, are that geothermal studies currently focus mostly on resource prospectivity, economic returns, and minimisation of risk and cost. Hydropower projects mostly address productive capacity issues, similarly to the geothermal GIS-MCDA studies, however, there was greater focus on providing a broader set of information for decision-makers about the legal, technical, environmental, and social consequences of projects. GIS-MCDA studies on onshore wind demonstrated evidence of methodological innovation and novelty, with consideration of not only the issues of productive capacity, but also environmental impacts, land use designations, and social acceptance. The application of GIS mapping in Icelandic decision-making concerning proposed energy projects would help to rationalise the determination of suitable locations and designs carried out by Iceland's Master Plan, providing a broader set of information for decision-makers about legal, technical, environmental, and social consequences.