Factors Influencing the Decision-Making Process at the End-of-Life Cycle of Onshore Wind Farms: A Systematic Review

Abstract

It is observed that the number of onshore wind farms that reach the end of their service life is continually increasing. The decision-making process that defines the future of the farm is a challenge for the owners. This systematic review aimed to identify which factors influence the decision-making process at the end-of-life cycle of onshore wind farms. In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, a research strategy was developed and used the Scopus, Web of Science and EMBASE databases. Initially, 2767 articles were identified, but, after double-blind screening, 26 articles were analyzed in full. The scarcity of studies on this topic and little elucidation are limitations of this review. The results include (i) a systematization of six options for decision making, (ii) thirteen factors influencing the decision-making process associated with categories of external factors (logistics and infrastructure aspects, regulatory aspects and public policies, national energy guidelines, the technological development of the sector); and internal factors (economic/financial, operational and environmental aspects). It is concluded that most of the publications consist of simulations and theoretical studies highlighting a bottleneck in experiences and feasible data to support decisions at the end of service life. It is highlighted that most of the studies showed that partial decommissioning with partial repowering, as well as total decommissioning, were the most feasible options for the end-of-life cycle, with aspects related to public policies and regulatory aspects, as well as environmental, operational and economic/financial aspects, being the most influential, especially due to the wake effect, operation and maintenance costs (OPEX) and the protection of guarantees and incentives for operation in a new operating cycle.

Keywords

• wind energy
• onshore wind farm
• end-of-life cycle
• decommissioning
• repowering
• retrofitting