Wind Farm Site Feasibility: A Practical Training Course for Project Developers
1Summary
Pick the wrong plot of land, and even the best wind turbine technology in the world won't save a wind farm project. Site selection is the single decision that locks in a project's costs, its energy output, and its chances of ever reaching financial close – which is exactly why developers who get it wrong rarely get a second chance.
This training course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy walks participants through the full site feasibility process step by step, from reading wind resource data to pulling together a feasibility report that investors and regulators will actually trust. By the end, participants will be equipped to assess, compare, and defend a wind farm site with confidence.
2Objectives and target group
Who Should Attend?
- Project managers and engineers in the energy sector who handle the technical side of choosing a wind farm site.
- Renewable energy developers expanding their portfolio into wind projects.
- Energy consultants and financial analysts who assess wind farm risk, return, and feasibility for clients or investors.
- Environmental impact assessors and regulatory specialists working on wind energy permitting.
Programme Objectives
By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:
- Identify the resource, terrain, and environmental factors that make or break a wind farm site.
- Build resource assessments and financial models to test whether a site is genuinely feasible.
- Work through the legal, permitting, and regulatory steps standing between a site and construction.
- Pull all of the above into one coherent feasibility study that supports a sound investment decision.
3Course Content
Module 1: Why Site Selection Decides a Wind Project's Fate
- How the choice of site locks in a project's cost structure and lifetime energy output.
- The financial, environmental, and operational risks tied to a poorly chosen site.
- Why wind power's growing share of the energy mix raises the stakes of getting site selection right.
Module 2: Wind Power Basics Every Site Evaluator Needs
- Core components of a wind farm: turbines, substations, and grid connections.
- How turbines convert wind into electricity, and what drives conversion efficiency.
- Reading growth projections and market context to judge a project's long-term relevance.
Module 3: Wind Resource Assessment – From Raw Data to Wind Maps
- Wind speed, direction, and variability: what they reveal about a site's potential.
- Collecting and validating resource data through anemometers, remote sensing, and long-term records.
- Turning raw measurements into wind maps and site-specific microclimate profiles.
Module 4: Modelling and Forecasting Energy Yield
- Software tools used to map and analyse wind resources.
- Long-term forecasting techniques for predicting power generation.
- Modelling the potential energy yield of a candidate site.
Module 5: Terrain, Geology, and Physical Access
- How soil type, topography, and geology shape turbine placement and foundation design.
- Ground stability and how terrain affects wind flow and turbine efficiency.
- Road access, transport logistics, and their effect on cost and project timeline.
Module 6: Site Suitability and Grid Proximity
- Weighing terrain, elevation, and geography against resource potential.
- The importance of proximity to grid connections and existing infrastructure.
- Ranking candidate sites on a consistent set of suitability criteria.
Module 7: Environmental Screening and Land Use
- The environmental impact assessment process and what it covers: wildlife, biodiversity, and land use.
- Zoning rules, land ownership, and leasing considerations.
- Permitting requirements and the role local authorities play in approvals.
Module 8: Community Engagement and Social Acceptance
- Why early engagement with local communities reduces project risk.
- Addressing noise, visual impact, and land-use concerns before they become obstacles.
- Mitigation strategies that build social acceptance for a wind farm.
Module 9: Legal and Regulatory Pathways
- Navigating the permitting process for wind farm development.
- Local, national, and international regulations that apply to a project.
- Government incentives, subsidies, and feed-in tariffs that affect project economics.
Module 10: Financial Feasibility and Risk Management
- Breaking down development costs: land, equipment, and construction.
- Financial modelling tools: Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), payback period, and ROI.
- Identifying and mitigating resource, construction, regulatory, and legal risks.
Module 11: Building and Defending the Feasibility Study
- Combining resource, environmental, and financial data into one feasibility report.
- Feasibility metrics that matter: power output, cost-efficiency, and environmental impact.
- Comparing competing sites and justifying the final recommendation.
Module 12: From Decision to Kick-Off
- Factors that tip the final go/no-go decision.
- Building a project timeline and budget for the next development stages.
- Contract negotiation and preparing for project kick-off.