IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/rensus/v210y2025ics1364032124009833.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Location determinants of industrial solar photovoltaics and onshore wind turbines in the EU

Author

Listed:
  • Bessin, Anna
  • Serra-Adroer, Jordi
  • Debonne, Niels
  • van Vliet, Jasper

Abstract

The transition to renewable energy sources, particularly wind turbines and solar photovoltaics, is critical to achieving a climate-neutral European Union. However, challenges in deployment arise related to land conflicts, aesthetics, regulatory barriers and others. While studies have indicated optimal locations, their actual location and associated location determinants remain unknown. This study addresses this gap, with contributions in three key areas. Firstly, it presents the most recent and coherent spatial dataset of onshore wind turbines (118,238) and industrial solar photovoltaics (670 km2) in the European Union, extracted from Open Street Map. The results present an 8.5-fold and 2.5-fold increase in onshore wind turbines and solar photovoltaics, respectively, compared to similar results from 2020. Secondly, the study provides two models to understand the significance, associated relationship, and strength of a wide range of variables as location determinants. It identifies 16 significant predictors for onshore wind turbines, and 13 for solar PV, uncovering previously unconsidered predictors in optimal placement studies. A 50-fold cross-validation concluded the robustness of both models, allowing for the development of probability maps that illustrate the future expansion potential in the European Union. The regions with the highest wind turbine potential include Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, northern Germany and France. For solar PV, areas with significant potential are found in the Netherlands, Germany, flat regions in Italy, southern and central Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary.

Suggested Citation

  • Bessin, Anna & Serra-Adroer, Jordi & Debonne, Niels & van Vliet, Jasper, 2025. "Location determinants of industrial solar photovoltaics and onshore wind turbines in the EU," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 210(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:210:y:2025:i:c:s1364032124009833
    DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.115257
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032124009833
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.rser.2024.115257?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Atul Patil & Chaitanya Pathak & Bejoy Alduse, 2023. "Review of Natural Hazard Risks for Wind Farms," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-29, January.
    2. Chen, Shiu-Sheng & Lin, Tzu-Yu, 2024. "Monetary policy and renewable energy production," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    3. Sabo, Mahmoud Lurwan & Mariun, Norman & Hizam, Hashim & Mohd Radzi, Mohd Amran & Zakaria, Azmi, 2017. "Spatial matching of large-scale grid-connected photovoltaic power generation with utility demand in Peninsular Malaysia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 191(C), pages 663-688.
    4. Pen-Chi Chiang & Hwong-wen Ma & Lihchyi Wen & Chun-hsu Lin, 2024. "Renewable Energy," Springer Books, in: Introduction to Green Science and Technology for Green Economy, chapter 0, pages 337-377, Springer.
    5. Sigurd Hilmo Lundheim & Giuseppe Pellegrini-Masini & Christian A. Klöckner & Stefan Geiss, 2022. "Developing a Theoretical Framework to Explain the Social Acceptability of Wind Energy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-24, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Rômulo de Oliveira Azevêdo & Paulo Rotela Junior & Luiz Célio Souza Rocha & Gianfranco Chicco & Giancarlo Aquila & Rogério Santana Peruchi, 2020. "Identification and Analysis of Impact Factors on the Economic Feasibility of Photovoltaic Energy Investments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-40, September.
    2. Noorollahi, Younes & Ghenaatpisheh Senani, Ali & Fadaei, Ahmad & Simaee, Mobina & Moltames, Rahim, 2022. "A framework for GIS-based site selection and technical potential evaluation of PV solar farm using Fuzzy-Boolean logic and AHP multi-criteria decision-making approach," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 89-104.
    3. Jain, Akshay & Bora, Bhaskor Jyoti & Kumar, Rakesh & Sharma, Prabhakar & Paramasivam, Prabhu & Ağbulut, Ümit, 2024. "Decoding the performance of a blend of metal-oxide nanoparticles in Eichhornia crassipes biodiesel at varying injection timing through the routes of thermodynamic analysis and statistical optimization," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 311(C).
    4. Freeman, Sergio & Agar, Ertan, 2025. "Driving change: Analyzing the interplay of electric vehicle adoption and grid electrification in New England," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    5. Sreenath, S. & Kirs, Tanel & Kirs, Kristian & Volkova, Anna, 2024. "Photovoltaic-powered seasonal snow storage-assisted district cooling system: Site suitability analysis and performance assessment," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    6. Lindberg, O. & Birging, A. & Widén, J. & Lingfors, D., 2021. "PV park site selection for utility-scale solar guides combining GIS and power flow analysis: A case study on a Swedish municipality," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(PA).
    7. Restrepo, Laura & Fulton, Lewis & Wernert, Lukas, 2025. "2030 Hydrogen Goals in the Road Transportation Sector: A comparative analysis between the European Union and California," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt9ps607c7, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    8. Iulia Lupu & Adina Criste & Tudor Ciumara & Camelia Milea & Radu Lupu, 2024. "Addressing the Renewable Energy Challenges through the Lens of Monetary Policy—Insights from the Literature," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-31, September.
    9. Pillot, Benjamin & Al-Kurdi, Nadeem & Gervet, Carmen & Linguet, Laurent, 2020. "An integrated GIS and robust optimization framework for solar PV plant planning scenarios at utility scale," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    10. Siyuan Chen & Yukun Zhang & Jie Zheng, 2021. "Assessment on Global Urban Photovoltaic Carrying Capacity and Adjustment of Photovoltaic Spatial Planning," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-13, March.
    11. Østergaard, P.A. & Lund, H. & Thellufsen, J.Z. & Sorknæs, P. & Mathiesen, B.V., 2022. "Review and validation of EnergyPLAN," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    12. Alfeus Sunarso & Kunhali Ibrahim-Bathis & Sakti A. Murti & Irwan Budiarto & Harold S. Ruiz, 2020. "GIS-Based Assessment of the Technical and Economic Feasibility of Utility-Scale Solar PV Plants: Case Study in West Kalimantan Province," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-12, August.
    13. Jane Rose Atwongyeire & Arkom Palamanit & Adul Bennui & Mohammad Shakeri & Kuaanan Techato & Shahid Ali, 2022. "Assessment of Suitable Areas for Smart Grid of Power Generated from Renewable Energy Resources in Western Uganda," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-31, February.
    14. Wang, Peng & Zhang, Shuainan & Pu, Yanru & Cao, Shuchao & Zhang, Yuhu, 2021. "Estimation of photovoltaic power generation potential in 2020 and 2030 using land resource changes: An empirical study from China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 219(C).
    15. Al Garni, Hassan Z. & Awasthi, Anjali, 2017. "Solar PV power plant site selection using a GIS-AHP based approach with application in Saudi Arabia," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 1225-1240.
    16. Mósesdóttir, Lilja, 2024. "Energy (in)justice in the green energy transition. The case of Fosen wind farms in Norway," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    17. Baseem Khan & Josep M. Guerrero & Sanjay Chaudhary & Juan C. Vasquez & Kenn H. B. Frederiksen & Ying Wu, 2022. "A Review of Grid Code Requirements for the Integration of Renewable Energy Sources in Ethiopia," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-22, July.
    18. Zhang, Long & Padhan, Hemachandra & Singh, Sanjay Kumar & Gupta, Monika, 2024. "The impact of renewable energy on inflation in G7 economies: Evidence from artificial neural networks and machine learning methods," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    19. Rediske, Graciele & Siluk, Julio Cezar M. & Michels, Leandro & Rigo, Paula D. & Rosa, Carmen B. & Cugler, Gilberto, 2020. "Multi-criteria decision-making model for assessment of large photovoltaic farms in Brazil," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    20. Saeidi, Reza & Noorollahi, Younes & Aghaz, Javad & Chang, Soowon, 2023. "FUZZY-TOPSIS method for defining optimal parameters and finding suitable sites for PV power plants," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:rensus:v:210:y:2025:i:c:s1364032124009833. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/600126/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.