Feasibility study of off-shore wind farms: an application to Puglia region

Recent environmental constraints and new secure technologies have enforced the development of comprehensive programmes for renewable energy. Wind energy is one of the most promising solutions, especially considering its technological advancements and its growth over the last years. In particular, off-shore wind energy is a key element in the EU White Paper target of 10% contribution of Renewable energy by 2010.In this paper, the technical and economical feasibility of off-shore wind farms is reviewed, in order to evaluate profitability and investment opportunities. In particular, a pre-feasibility study of off-shore wind farms to some selected sites in Puglia Region is provided. The study indicates the best sites in Puglia Region for off-shore plants. For each site, the cost of energy and the profitability of the investment are calculated. Moreover, in the most promising site, different wind turbine generators (WTGs) models are compared in order to evaluate the best performances. In the best site, which presents an average wind speed at 35 m height of 7.66 m/s, the cost of energy ranges between 5.2 and 6.0 c€/kWh. Moreover, the analysis shows that the use of large size WTGs allows reducing the cost of energy and increasing the profitability of the wind farm.     

An analysis of the potential of Wind Energy Conversion Systems

Wind Energy Conversion Systems (WECS) are solar systems because the sun drives the atmospheric circulation. About 20 TW of wind energy flows poleward annually, over land in temperate latitudes, in the 500 m deep atmospheric boundary layer. An average 500 GW of electricity could be generated by massive exploitation of the U.S. Great Plains wind field.There are, however, large fluctuations in available wind power. There are frequent 20% variations in annual supply; annual periodicity brings most wind power during the spring; there are storm cycles; and there is a diurnal cycle. Gusts and turbulence also require filtering to meet normal power requirements. Several schemes are evolving to tame this erratic wind power supply.Modern technology is refining horizontal-axis turbines of a wide size range. Progress is also being made toward producing an economical vertical-axis turbine. Standards for turbine performance evaluation and installation site selection are now being developed. Yet it will be a few years before proven systems can significantly affect national energy supplies.Eventually, mass-produced WECS may cost $1000 per installed, rated kW, but the wind does not often flow at turbine-rated speed. With some storage or filtering, problems with wind variability may be overcome. Then WECS electricity production may be as economical as other electric generators. No serious hazards or environmental impacts should slow WECS development.     

Economics of Wind turbine as an energy fuel saver – A case study for remote application in oman

This paper presents a study carried out to investigate the economics of wind turbine as an energy fuel saver. The load and the wind data is taken from a remote agricultural research station in Oman. Presently, the station is provided with electricity from diesel-engine generating units. The annual peak load and minimum load recorded at the site is 130 kW and 28 kW respectively. The annual average wind speed at the site is 5.7 m/s. A 50-kW wind turbine is selected to demonstrate the economic feasibility of the turbine as a fuel saver. The results show that wind energy utilization is an attractive option with total specific cost of the selected wind turbine ranges between 7.4 and 8.45 ¢/kWh at 7.55% discount rate comparing to diesel generation operating cost of 14.3 ¢/kWh, considering the capital cost of diesel units as sunk. The simple payback period of the turbine is between 5.1 and 5.4 years and discounted payback between 6.7 and 8.0 years.     

Wind resource assessment of an area using short term data correlated to a long term data set

A method of estimating the annual wind energy potential of a selected site using short term measurements related to one year’s recorded wind data at another reference site is presented. The proposed method utilizes the 1-year measured wind speed of one site to extrapolate the annual wind speed at a new site, using an artificial neural network (ANN). In this study, concurrent measurements from target and reference sites over periods of 1-month and 2-month were used to “train” the ANN. Topographical details or other meteorological data are not required for this approach. After derivation of the simulated wind speed time series for the target site, its mean value and its corresponding Weibull distribution parameters are calculated. The derived Weibull distribution of the simulated wind speed is used to make an assessment of the annual wind energy resource in the new area with respect to a particular wind turbine model. Three pairs of measuring stations in the southwest of Ireland were examined, where the wind potential is high and technically exploitable. Analysis of the measurements showed a reasonable cross-correlation coefficient of the wind speed between the sites. Results indicate that with this method, only a short time period of wind data acquisition in a new area might provide the information required for a satisfactory assessment of the annual wind energy resource. To evaluate the accuracy of the method, simulation results of the 1-month and 2-month training periods are compared to the corresponding actual values recorded at the sites. Also, a comparison with the results of a commercial wind energy assessment software package is presented showing similar results.     

On wind speed pattern and energy potential in Nigeria

The aim of this paper is to review wind speed distribution and wind energy availability in Nigeria and discuss the potential of using this resource for generation of wind power in the country. The power output from a wind turbine is strongly dependent on the wind speed and accurate information about the wind data in a targeted location is essential. The annual mean wind speeds in Nigeria range from about 2 to 9.5 m/s and the annual power density range between 3.40 and 520 kW/m² based on recent reported data. The trend shows that wind speeds are low in the south and gradually increases to relatively high speeds in the north. The areas that are suitable for exploitation of wind energy for electricity generation as well as for water pumping were identified. Also some of the challenges facing the development of wind energy and suggested solutions were presented.     

Resource potential for wind-hydrogen power in Ukraine

The paper provides an assessment of the current wind energy potential in Ukraine, and discusses developmental prospects for wind-hydrogen power generation in the country. Hydrogen utilization is a highly promising option for Ukraine's energy system, environment, and business. In Ukraine, an optimal way towards clean zero-carbon energy production is through the development of the wind-hydrogen sector. In order to make it possible, the energy potential of industrial hydrogen production and use has to be studied thoroughly.Ukraine possesses huge resources for wind energy supply. At the beginning of 2020, the total installed capacity of Ukrainian wind farms was 1.17 GW. Wind power generation in Ukraine has significant advantages in comparison to the use of traditional sources such as thermal and nuclear energy.In this work, an assessment of the wind resource potential in Ukraine is made via the geographical approach suggested by the authors, and according to the «Methodical guidelines for the assessment of average annual power generation by a wind turbine based on the long-term wind speed observation data». The paper analyses the long-term dynamics of average annual wind speed at 40 Ukrainian weather stations that provide valid data. The parameter for the vertical wind profile model is calculated based on the data reanalysis for 10 m and 50 m altitudes. The capacity factor (CF) for modern wind turbine generators is determined. The CF spatial distribution for an average 3 MW wind turbine and the power generation potential for the wind power plants across the territory of Ukraine are mapped.Based on the wind energy potential assessment, the equivalent possible production of water electrolysis-derived green hydrogen is estimated. The potential average annual production of green hydrogen across the territory of Ukraine is mapped.It is concluded that Ukraine can potentially establish wind power plants with a total capacity of 688 GW on its territory. The average annual electricity production of this system is supposed to reach up to 2174 bln kWh. Thus, it can provide an average annual production of 483 billion Nm³ (43 million tons) of green hydrogen by electrolysis. The social efficiency of investments in wind-hydrogen electricity is presented.     

Performance investigation of an integrated wind energy system for co-generation of power and hydrogen

In this paper, a wind turbine energy system is integrated with a hydrogen fuel cell and proton exchange membrane electrolyzer to provide electricity and heat to a community of households. Different cases for varying wind speeds are taken into consideration. Wind turbines meet the electricity demand when there is sufficient wind speed available. During high wind speeds, the excess electricity generated is supplied to the electrolyzer to produce hydrogen which is stored in a storage tank. It is later utilized in the fuel cell to provide electricity during periods of low wind speeds to overcome the shortage of electricity supply. The fuel cell operates during high demand conditions and provides electricity and heat for the residential application. The overall efficiency of the system is calculated at different wind speeds. The overall energy and exergy efficiencies at a wind speed 5 m/s are then found to be 20.2% and 21.2% respectively.     

Electricity generation and wind potential assessment at Hurghada, Egypt

A technical and economic assessment has been made of the generation of electricity using wind turbines at one of the most promising wind sites in Egypt: Hurghada. In this paper, we used wind data recorded over 23 years for this site. The WASP program was used to calculate the values of wind speed frequency for the station, their seasonally values have been estimated and compared with measured data.Weibull parameters and the power law coefficient (n) for all seasons at different heights (10–70 m) has been estimated and used to describe the distribution and behavior of seasonal wind speed and their frequencies at Hurghada. The monthly and annual values of wind potential at a height of 70 m were obtained by extrapolation of the 10 m data from the results of our previous article [Ahmed Shata AS, Hanitsch R. The potential of electricity generation on the east coast of Red Sea in Egypt. Renew Energy 2006;31:1597–615] using the power law.Also, the monthly plant load factor (PLF) has been estimated, which is used to determine the expected annual energy output of a wind energy conversion system (WECS).Variation of annual capacity factor with rated wind speed for 10 different wind turbines has been studied. The lower the rated speed for the WECS of the same height, the higher will be the capacity factor values. The expected electrical energy cost of kWh produced by the wind turbine (Repower MM82) with a capacity of 2 MW considered for Hurghada station was found to be less than 1.5 € cent/kWh.     

High value wind: A method to explore the relationship between wind speed and electricity locational marginal price

Wind and solar resources are, by nature, spatially distributed and temporally variable. The process of siting generators that use these renewable resources and integrating them into the electricity system therefore raises different issues than the same process for combustion facilities does. A method for discovering wind power sites with the highest value to the electricity system was developed and is illustrated here using data for the state of Michigan. This method combines readily available hourly average 10 m wind speed data with wholesale electricity price data, as hourly locational marginal price (LMP). The 10 m wind speed data from 72 sites were extrapolated vertically to 80 m turbine hub height, converted to wind power density, and interpolated horizontally via kriging to reconstruct a continuous surface. LMP data from 178 generator nodes were allocated across space using Thiessen polygons. High LMP was interpreted as a signal of insufficiency or weakness in the electricity system, and wind energy was considered a possible remedy. The method, implemented in a GIS, identifies when and where peaks in LMP and wind power density co-occur and highlights these events as high value. As the drive to incorporate more renewable generators into the electricity system increases, this method will help locate the most desirable sites based on wind resource characteristics and the structure of the larger electricity system. Proposing a new way to think about the value of the wind resource to the electricity system is a primary contribution of this work.     

Feasibility study of harnessing wind energy for turbine installation in province of Yazd in Iran

This paper analyses the wind speed of some major cities in province of Yazd which is located in central part of Iran. Also, the feasibility study of implementing wind turbines to take advantage of wind power is reviewed and then the subject of wind speed and wind potential at different stations is considered. This paper utilized wind speed data over a period of almost 13 years between 1992 and 2005 from 11 stations, to assess the wind power potential at these sites. In this paper, the hourly measured wind speed data at 10 m, 20 m and 40 m height for Yazd province have been statically analyzed to determine the potential of wind power generation. Extrapolation of the 10 m data, using the Power Law, has been used to determine the wind data at heights of 20 m and 40 m. The results showed that most of the stations have annual average wind speed of less than 4.5 m/s which is considered as unacceptable for installation of the wind turbines. City of Herat has higher wind energy potential with annual wind speed average of 5.05 m/s and 6.86 m/s, respectively, at height of 10 m and 40 m above ground level (AGL). This site is a good candidate for remote area wind energy applications. But some more information is required, because the collected data for Herat is only for 2004. Cities of Aghda with 3.96 m/s, Gariz with 3.95 m/s, and Maybod with 3.83 m/s annual wind speed average at height of 10 m above ground level are also able to harness wind by installing small wind turbines. The Tabas and Bafgh sites wind speed data indicated that the two sites have lower annual wind speed averages between 1.56 m/s and 2.22 m/s at 10 m height. The monthly and annual wind speeds at different heights have been studied to ensure optimum selection of wind turbine installation for different stations in Yazd.     

Assessment of the wind power potential at SANAE IV base, Antarctica: a technical and economic feasibility study

This paper presents a study for the utilization of wind energy at the South African research station, SANAE IV, in Antarctica (71°40’ S 2° 50’ W). A procedure to evaluate the feasibility of utilising wind power for Antarctic stations is given. The analysis is based on the technical and economic aspects of installing and operating a wind turbine at remote locations. Special attention has been given to conditions encountered at Antarctica, like site accessibility, low temperatures, icing and snow, long transportation distances and environmental issues. The aspect of externalities is incorporated into the economic analysis. The Northern Power Systems NW100/19 wind turbine is found to be the best-suited wind turbine for use at SANAE IV, given the harsh climatic conditions, like frequent windstorms and extreme temperatures. The wind turbine features a yearly energy output of 430 MWh with a capacity factor of 0.49, at a mean wind speed of 10.8 m/s. The study shows that a wind turbine installation at SANAE IV is an attractive solution to reduce fuel consumption and therefore emissions of the diesel electric generators considerably. The use of a wind turbine at SANAE IV could lead to a savings in externalities of about R110 000, -per annum.     

Assessment of windfarm economics in relation to site wind resources applied to sites in Jordan

This paper describes an analytical method for estimation of the economical feasibility of a project for wind energy utilization in Jordan. The method is applied to a windfarm and is based on the wind speed distribution at the site considered and on the financial parameters for the complete plant and its running costs. For this method, equations were derived to calculate the cost of a kWh generated by wind turbines with different characteristics as a function of the capital investment per kW installed capacity. The method was applied to the sites at which Royal Scientific Society performs wind speed measurements, and the results indicate that some of these sites are well suited for cost efficient generation of electricity by wind energy. The results also show that a wind tribine which is designed to have a relatively low rated speed has a wider range of economical operation than a wind turbine with a higher rated speed for the sites investigated assuming that the maximum rated power for all for the wind turbines is held constant.     

Estimating global hydrogen production from wind

It is likely that intermittent renewable sources such as wind and solar will provide the greatest opportunity for future large-scale hydrogen production. Here, on-shore wind is examined. Global wind energy is estimated by placing one 2 MW turbine/km² over the surface of the earth. Wind energy production is based on monthly mean wind speed data. Wind turbines are grouped to form arrays that are linked to local hydrogen generation and transmission networks. Hydrogen generation is done via low-pressure electrolysis and transmission via high-pressure gas pipelines. The wind/hydrogen system is considered within a global energy system that must not only provide hydrogen, but also energy for electricity consumption at the local generation site. The technical potential of the hydrogen produced is estimated to be 116 EJ. Uneven distribution of the hydrogen-rich sites results in the need to export much of the hydrogen produced to energy-poor regions. To overcome system losses, a combined wind/HVDC/hydrogen system is considered.     

An assessment of wind-hydrogen systems for light duty vehicles

A hydrogen economy could offer energy stability, economical, and environmental benefits. In this paper, a hydrogen system based on wind-generated electricity is presented as a viable component in a hydrogen transition strategy. The strengths of a wind-hydrogen system are exhibited in its modular design, exploitation of existing technology, and utilization of a renewable resource. Specifically, a state level assessment of wind power was conducted in order to determine the ability of individual states to meet light-duty vehicle hydrogen fueling demands while utilizing the proposed system. Additionally, analysis related to existing hydrogen resources is presented in order to form a transition scenario.     

Wind power potential in Turkey and Akhisar case study

Wind energy potential in various parts of Turkey is becoming economical due to reductions in the wind turbine costs, and in fossil fuel atmospheric pollution. The global change program imposes restrictions for use of alternative renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources. Wind energy is among such energy potentials and its practical and economical use gain significance day by day. The first wind energy turbine site investigation and wind power application possibility have been presented for the Akhisar area within the eastern provinces of Turkey. Different wind turbine technologies are assessed according to the local wind speed variations. Locally and technologically suitable wind turbines are selected. Finally their locations are decided by expert views and field measurements with the usage of well known WASP software. It is calculated that a minimum of 31436 MWh/year wind can be generated in this site. In the calculations 10% error possibility is allowed.     

Residential- and commercial-scale distributed wind energy in North Dakota,USA

We use one year of hourly wind speed measurements at 14 sites across North Dakota to evaluate how both residential- and commercial-scale (utility-scale) wind turbines can help to meet electricity needs within the state. Data are available from April 2004 through March 2005, a period with slightly lower mean wind speeds as compared to a long-term climatology; thus our calculations represent a conservative estimate of wind power for these sites. We assume the wind patterns at each site are representative of the county as a whole and, using capacity factors of 20% (residential) and 35% (commercial), we estimate the amount of electricity that can be generated for the county and compare it to county-based estimates of electricity usage. Our results show that a residential-scale turbine could provide between 90% and 165% of annual net per-person electricity usage in these 14 counties, depending on the wind speed. In addition, for the counties with the smallest populations, only six commercial-scale turbines are needed to meet the net annual county electricity usage; the most populous county would require up to 69 turbines. An evaluation of month-to-month electricity supply and demand showed that between 9% and 20% (13% and 29%) of monthly electricity needs for a county with low (high) average wind speeds could be met if 30% of the county's households had a residential-scale turbine. Our results show that residential-scale turbines have the potential to contribute meaningfully to a distributed-generation wind energy landscape.     

Wind energy evaluation for electricity generation using WECS in seven selected locations in Nigeria

This paper statistically examine wind characteristics from seven meteorological stations within the North-West (NW) geo-political region of Nigeria using 36-year (1971–2007) wind speed data measured at 10 m height subjected to 2-parameter Weibull analysis. It is observed that the monthly mean wind speed in this region ranges from 2.64 m/s to 9.83 m/s. The minimum monthly mean wind speed was recorded in Yelwa in the month of November while the maximum value is observed in Katsina in the month of June. The annual wind speeds range from 3.61 m/s in Yelwa to 7.77 m/s in Kano. It is further shown that Sokoto, Katsina and Kano are suitable locations for wind turbine installations with annual mean wind speeds of 7.61, 7.45 and 7.77 m/s, respectively. The results also suggest that Gusau and Zaria should be applicable for wind energy development using taller wind turbine towers due to their respective annual mean speeds and mean power density while Kaduna is considered as marginal. In addition, higher wind speeds were recorded in the morning hours than afternoon periods for this region. A technical electricity generation assessment using four commercial wind turbines were carried out. The results indicate that, while the highest annual power is obtained with Nordex N80–2.5 MW as 14233.53 kW/year in Kano, the lowest is in Yelwa having 618.06 kW/year for Suzlon S52. It is further shown that the highest capacity factor is 64.95% for Suzlon S52–600 kW in Kano while the lowest is 3.82% for Vestas V80–2 MW in Yelwa.     

Evaluation of wind energy potential and electricity generation at six locations in Turkey

In this study, wind characteristics were analyzed using the wind speed data collected of the six meteorological stations in Turkey during the period 2000–2006. The annual mean wind speed of the six stations (Erzurum, Elaz??, Bingöl, Kars, Manisa and Ni?de) is obtained as 8.7, 8.5, 5.9, 6.9, 7.4 and 8.0 m/s at 10 m height, respectively. The mean annual value of Weibull shape parameter k is between 1.71 and 1.96 while the annual value of scale parameter c is between 6.81 and 9.71 m/s. A technical assessment has been made of electricity generation from four wind turbines having capacity of (600 kW, 1000 kW, 1500 kW and 2000 kW). The yearly energy output and capacity factor for the four different turbines were calculated.     

Investigation on wind power potential on Hong Kong islands—an analysis of wind power and wind turbine characteristics

This paper discusses the potential for electricity generation on Hong Kong islands through an analysis of the local weather data and typical wind turbine characteristics. An optimum wind speed, u_op, is proposed to choose an optimal type of wind turbine for different weather conditions. A simulation model has been established to describe the characteristics of a particular wind turbine. A case study investigation allows wind speed and wind power density to be obtained using different hub heights, and the annual power generated by the wind turbine to be simulated. The wind turbine's capacity factor, being the ratio of actual annual power generation to the rated annual power generation, is shown to be 0.353, with the capacity factor in October as high as 0.50. The simulation shows the potential for wind power generation on the islands surrounding Hong Kong.     

Feasibility of large scale offshore wind power for Hong Kong — a preliminary study

This paper investigates the potential and the feasibility of offshore wind energy for Hong Kong. The 1998 wind data taken from an island were analysed. The wind resource yields an annual mean wind speed of 6.6 m/s and mean wind power density of 310 W/m². With commercially available 1.65 MW wind turbines placed on the whole of Hong Kong’s territorial waters, the maximum electricity generating potential from offshore wind is estimated to be 25 TWh which is about 72% of the total 1998 annual electricity consumption. However, potential is significantly reduced if other usages of the sea such as shipping are considered. A hypothetical offshore wind farm of 1038 MW capacity is then sited on the East-side waters. The extreme wind and wave climates, as well as the seasonal variation of wind power and demand are examined. The electricity generation costs are estimated and compared with the local retail tariff. Initial results indicate the wind farm is economically viable and technically feasible.