Wind shear coefficients and energy yield for Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

This study presents calculated values of wind shear coefficients (WSE) using measured values of wind speed at 20, 30, and 40 m above ground level (AGL), for Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The study also includes the air density estimated using measured air temperature and surface pressure and effect of wind shear coefficient on energy yield from a wind farm of 60 MW installed capacity developed using 40 wind turbines of 1500 kW size. The data used in the determination of wind shear coefficient covered a period of almost 5 years between 4 October 1995 and 30 November 2000.The study suggests a value of 0.189 of wind shear coefficient for the calculation of wind speed at different heights if measured values are known at one height. No regular seasonal trend was observed in the values of wind shear coefficients. In case of diurnal variation, higher values were observed during nighttime and early hours of the day and comparatively smaller values during day light hours. The air density, calculated using measured temperature and pressure was found to be 1.18 kg/m³. The energy yield obtained using RetScreen software, showed that the actual wind shear coefficient presented in this paper produced around 11–12% more energy compared to that obtained using 1/7 power law. Accordingly, 2–3% higher plant capacity factors were achieved using actual site-dependent wind shear coefficient instead of 1/7th wind power law exponent for the calculation of wind speed at hub-height.     

Potential of geothermal energy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has rich geothermal energy resources. In Saudi Arabia, the studies on geothermal resources exploration were started in 1980. Saudi Arabia is among the most geothermally active countries in the Middle East. The geothermal power plants are not yet installed in Saudi Arabia. Some direct-use low-grade geothermal applications are already installed in the five last years. Some refreshment and swimming pools are already constructed in the Bani Malik-Jizan area. Geothermal energy can be utilized in various forms such as direct use, electricity generation, space heating, heat pumps, greenhouse heating, and industrial usage. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia government has plans to become completely powered by difference forms of renewable energy such as solid waste, solar, geothermal, and wind.     

The cost of domestic energy prices to Saudi Arabia

The issue of subsidies on domestic energy prices has moved up the policy agenda, most recently as a result of the G20 commitment in September 2009 to phase out such subsidies. However, what constitutes a “subsidy” is complex and controversial. The IEA in its last World Energy Outlook claimed that Saudi Arabia was second in the world in terms of its levels of subsidy on domestic energy prices. However, because Saudi Arabia is a price maker in the international oil market, the methodology used by the IEA is seriously flawed. This paper explains the problems with the methodology for computing subsidies and explains the correct method in the case of Saudi Arabia. It then attempts to measure the levels of subsidy in Saudi Arabia using this methodology. However, while it converts the IEA's “subsidy” of $23 billion into a net “profit” of $5.7 billion, it goes on to point out that the current low price regime is causing problems for Saudi Arabia.     

Wind energy potential assessment for the Sultanate of Oman

Wind data analysis for the Sultanate of Oman is carried out in this study. The results are presented mainly in the form of contour maps, in addition to tabulated data and figures for average wind speed and direction as well as wind availability and power density spanning a period of ten years. The analysis covers diurnal, seasonal and height variations on wind parameters. The data used in the analysis were obtained from NASA Langley Research Center. This analysis provides a needed reference for the spatial distribution of wind characteristics for the whole of Oman from which possible locations for the deployment of wind-based energy conversion systems may be identified.     

Developing sustainable energy policies for electrical energy conservation in Saudi Arabia

Towards the end of 1998, the Saudi Arabian electricity sector embarked upon a major restructuring program. One of the aims of the program is to achieve sustainable performance. Although progress has been made, a number of challenges remain, including high demand growth, low generation capacity reserve margins, inefficient energy use, absence of time-of-use tariffs, and the need for large capital investments to meet current and future expansion.     

Analysis of sectoral energy and exergy use of Saudi Arabia

This paper presents the analysis of sectoral energy and exergy utilization of Saudi Arabia by considering the energy and exergy flows for the 12 years between 1990 and 2001. Sectoral energy and exergy efficiencies are obtained for the subsectors and the devices used in each sector. Energy and exergy flow diagrams for Saudi Arabia are also presented, respectively, to illustrate the situation on how energy and exergy efficiencies vary in each sector. The residential sector appears to be the most energy efficient sector, and the industrial sector to be the most exergy efficient. It is believed that the current methodology is useful for analyzing sectoral energy and exergy utilization, which will help Saudi Arabia with energy savings through energy efficiency and/or energy conservation measures. It is also be helpful to establish standards to facilitate application in various sectors and processes for a sustainable energy planning. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wind energy resource map of Labrador

In this paper a wind energy resource map of Labrador, Canada is presented. Surface data collected from weather stations located throughout Labrador has been collected and extrapolated for height and surface condition adjustments. Several mesoscale wind maps have been obtained from the NCEP/NCAR and COADS databases, along with the generation of a couple of mesoscale wind maps with information from a NASA database. By combining the global data based maps and the modified ground data, a wind resource map indicating various classes of wind potential has been developed. This wind resource map indicates that wind speed is strongest in the southeast portion of Labrador in the Battle Harbor region. It has also been found that wind speed gradually decreases from the coastal regions the interior, in addition to a decreasing wind speed moving northward along the coast. Suggestions for future work and development of a complete wind map are also provided.     

Wind energy and assessment of wind energy potential in Turkey

In this study, the potential of wind energy and assessment of wind energy systems in Turkey were studied. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the wind energy potential and future wind conversion systems project in Turkey. The wind energy potential of various regions was investigated; and the exploitation of the wind energy in Turkey was discussed. Various regions were analyzed taking into account the wind data measured as hourly time series in the windy locations. The wind data used in this study were taken from Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration (EIEI) for the year 2010. This paper reviews the assessment of wind energy in Turkey as of the end of May 2010 including wind energy applications. Turkey's total theoretically available potential for wind power is around 131,756.40 MW and sea wind power 17,393.20 MW annually, according to TUREB (TWEA). When Turkey has 1.5 MW nominal installed wind energy capacity in 1998, then this capacity has increased to 1522.20 MW in 2010. Wind power plant with a total capacity of 1522.20 MW will be commissioned 2166.65 MW in December 2011.     

Wind power energy potential at the northeastern region of Saudi Arabia

In the present study the energy potential of wind for the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia is investigated. A suitable Weibull distribution is generated based on the data obtained for a duration of one complete year at a costal location in northeastern Saudi Arabia. Comparison of this model is made with the Rayleigh distribution of wind power densities. Two horizontal-axis type of wind energy conversion systems which operate at fixed rpm are considered and a model of quadratic power output function is used. It is found that the error in using the Rayleigh approximation will be less than 10% of the full rated power density level.     

Wind energy resource assessment in Madrid region

The “Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid” (Autonomous Community of Madrid, in the following Madrid Region), is a region located at the geographical centre of the Iberian Peninsula. Its area is 8.028 km², and its population about five million people. The Department of Economy and Technological Innovation of the Madrid Region, together with some organizations dealing on energy saving and other research institutions have elaborated an Energy Plan for the 2004–12 period. As a part of this work, the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory of the Superior Technical School of Industrial Engineers of the Polytechnic University of Madrid has carried out the assessment of the wind energy resources [Crespo A, Migoya E, Gómez Elvira R. La energía eólica en Madrid. Potencialidad y prospectiva. Plan energético de la Comunidad de Madrid, 2004–2012. Madrid: Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid; 2004]; using for this task the WAsP program (Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program), and the own codes, UPMORO (code to study orography effects) and UPMPARK (code to study wake effects in wind parks). Different kinds of data have been collected about climate, topography, roughness of the land, environmentally protected areas, town and village distribution, population density, main facilities and electric power supply. The Spanish National Meteorological Institute has nine wind measurement stations in the region, but only four of them have good and reliable temporary wind data, with time measurement periods that are long enough to provide representative correlations among stations. The Observed Wind Climates of the valid meteorological stations have been made. The Wind Atlas and the resource grid have been calculated, especially in the high wind resource areas, selecting appropriate measurements stations and using criteria based on proximity, similarity and ruggedness index. Some areas cannot be used as a wind energy resource mainly because they have environmental regulation or, in some cases, are very close to densely populated towns. In the finally selected areas, it is assumed that there are hypothetical wind farms, consisting of 2 MW turbines in appropriate configurations, in which the turbines are about 11 diameters apart. Its energy production will give an estimation of the wind energy potential of the Madrid Region.     

Energy analysis of Saudi Arabia

This study provides an energy outlook for Saudi Arabia's energy resources, their production and consumption, as well as their future projections. Crude oil, natural gas and refined products, and electricity are the main energy resources of the country. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that has the largest crude oil reserves and this is one of the main energy producers. The high growth rates of Saudi Arabia's population and the sectoral energy utilization are the two main factors affecting its energy consumption dramatically. Moreover, Saudi Arabia is not only one of the main energy producers in the world but is also one of the world's largest energy consumers per capita. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wind energy potential assessment at four typical locations in Ethiopia

The wind energy potential at four different sites in Ethiopia – Addis Ababa (09:02N, 38:42E), Mekele (13:33N, 39:30E), Nazret (08:32N, 39:22E), and Debrezeit (8:44N, 39:02E) – has been investigated by compiling data from different sources and analyzing it using a software tool. The results relating to wind energy potential are given in terms of the monthly average wind speed, wind speed probability density function (PDF), wind speed cumulative density function (CDF), and wind speed duration curve (DC) for all four selected sites. In brief, for measurements taken at a height of 10 m, the results show that for three of the four locations the wind energy potential is reasonable, with average wind speeds of approximately 4 m/s. For the fourth site, the mean wind speed is less than 3 m/s. This study is the first stage in a longer project and will be followed by an analysis of solar energy potential and finally the design of a hybrid standalone electric energy supply system that includes a wind turbine, PV, diesel generator and battery.     

Modelling industrial energy demand in Saudi Arabia

Between 1986 and 2016, industrial energy consumption in Saudi Arabia increased by tenfold, making it one of the largest end-use sectors in the Kingdom. Despite its importance, there appear to be no published econometric studies on aggregate industrial energy demand in Saudi Arabia. We model aggregate industrial energy demand in Saudi Arabia using Harvey’s (1989) Structural Time Series Model, showing that it is both price and income inelastic, with estimated long-run elasticities of −0.34 and 0.60, respectively. The estimated underlying energy demand trend suggests improvements in energy efficiency starting from 2010.Applying decomposition analysis to the estimated econometric equation highlights the prominent roles of the activity effect (the growth in industrial value added) and the structure effect (the shift towards energy-intensive production) in driving industrial energy demand growth. Moreover, the decomposition shows how exogenous factors such as energy efficiency helped mitigate some of that growth, delivering cumulative savings of 6.8 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) between 2010 and 2016.Saudi Arabia implemented a broad energy price reform program in 2016, which raised electricity, fuel, and water prices for households and industry. The decomposition results reveal that, holding all else constant, higher industrial energy prices in 2016 reduced the sector’s energy consumption by 6.9 %, a decrease of around 3.0 Mtoe. Saudi policymakers could therefore build on the current policy of energy price reform and energy efficiency standards to mitigate the rate of growth of industrial energy consumption, increase economic efficiency, and maintain industrial sector competitiveness.     

Measurement and assessment of ultraviolet radiation in Riyadh,Saudi Arabia

Measurements of ultraviolet solar radiation (UV radiation) of wavelengths 0.295–0.385?μm were recorded from a huge data set collected every 10 minutes for a long period of time (over 60 months) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (Lat. 24°6′?N Long. 46°7′?E). The daily and monthly average percent ratio of UV to global irradiance was discussed. Findings indicate that maximum UV radiation occurs in July (16.6?Wm^?2) and the minimum values occur in December (8.3?Wm^?2). The measured UV intensity in Riyadh was compared with those measured in different regional cities; Bahrain, Kuwait, Dhahran, Makkah (Al-Mukkaramah) and Cairo. The results of comparison were discussed and attributed to different causes. It shows that the data of Riyadh are in good agreement with those of Dhahran and Cairo.     

Wind power resource assessment for Rafha,Saudi Arabia

This paper, presents the analysis of wind speed data and available energy in Rafha area using wind machines of 600, 1000 and 1500 kW sizes from three manufacturers. The long-term annual mean values of wind speeds were found to vary between a minimum of 2.5 m/s in the year 2002 and a maximum of 4.9 m/s in 1990. The frequency distribution showed that wind remained silent for 7% of the time on an average during 24 years of data period and 35% between 0 and 3.5 m/s. Wind speed remained above 3.5 m/s for 65% of the time and only 20% of the times above 6.5 m/s. The annual wind energy production and plant capacity factors, obtained using different methods and wind machines of three sizes and from three manufacturers are also discussed and compared.     

Wind energy assessment in underdeveloped areas: The case of Natal-Kwazulu,South Africa

Knowledge of the wind characteristics of a region is germane to the determination of the economic viability of wind energy systems. Underdeveloped regions experience particular problems in this regard because not only is there a lack of observational data, but there are other difficulties encountered in the use of alternative techniques such as modelling or inferential techniques. Using Natal-K waZulu in South Africa, as a case study, this paper focuses on the attempts that have been made to overcome the problem of data inadequacy and considers their relevance to other underdeveloped regions.     

沙特钻修井技术

针对沙特油田产层开发特点,介绍了中原钻井在沙特钻井承包施工中采用的边漏边钻、边涌边钻、清水解卡、小井眼钻井、短半径水平井钻井、多底井钻井等先进技术,有效地降低了钻井成本,利用了每口井的资源,大大提高了单井产量,对国内钻修井技术的发展有一定参考作用。     

Wind energy potential assessment for the offshore areas of Taiwan west coast and Penghu Archipelago

The average wind speed and wind power density of Taiwan had been evaluated at 10 m, 30 m and 50 m by simulation of mesoscale numerical weather prediction model (MM5). The results showed that wind energy potential of this area is excellent. Taiwan has offered funds to encourage the founding of offshore wind farms in this area. The purpose of this study is to make a high resolution wind energy assessment for the offshore area of Taiwan west coast and Penghu archipelago by using WAsP. The result of this study has been used to the relative financial planning of offshore wind farm projects in Taiwan. The basic inputs of WAsP include wind weather data and terrain data. The wind weather data was from a monitoring station located on a remote island, Tongi, because that all of weather stations in the area of Taiwan west coast are affected by urbanization. SRTM was selected to be used as terrain data and downloaded from CGIAR-CSI for voids problem. The coverage of considered terrain area in this assessment work is about 300 km × 400 km that made some difficulties to run wind energy assessment of the whole area with a high resolution of 100 m. So the interested area of this study is divided into 19 areas for the wind energy assessment and mapping. The assessment results show the Changhua area has best wind energy potential in the area of Taiwan west coast which power density is above 1000 W/m² height and the areas of Penghu archipelago are above 1300 W. These results are higher than the expected from NWP. 180 of 3 MW wind turbines were used in the study of micro sitting in the Changhua area.The type and number of the wind turbines and the layout of the wind farm is similar to the prior study of Taipower Company for demonstrating the reliability of this study. The assessment result of average net annual energy production (AEP) of the wind farm is about 11.3 GWh that is very close to the prior study. The terrain effect is also studied. The average net annual energy production will decrease about 0.7 GWh if the wind turbines were moved eastward 3600 m closer to the coast because of terrain effect. As the same reason, the average net annual energy production would be increased to 11.392 GWh if the wind farm is moved westward 3600 m away from the coast.     

Wind resource assessment in the state of Arizona: Inventory, capacity factor, and cost

During the summer of 2003, the state of Arizona took delivery of a set of high-resolution wind energy maps that were developed with a meso-scale wind energy model coupled with wind data. The geographical information system data supplied with the wind maps was used to create a wind resource inventory that included wind energy potential, proximity to transmission lines, and land ownership. Four diverse sites were selected for further study, one predominantly class 3, one predominantly class 4, one predominantly class 5, and one predominantly class 6. At each site, the capacity factor was determined, the seasonal influence was observed, and the real levelized cost of energy in 2005 dollars determined. As the wind class varied from 6 to 3 the levelized cost of energy ranged from 4.22 to 6.00 cents/kWh. These results do not include the production tax credit or the renewable energy production incentive, do include adjustments for elevation, losses, and inflation, and are considered conservative. This paper documents the findings of the wind mapping process, describes the method and results of evaluating the most promising sites for wind development, and presents the cost of energy results.     

Wind energy potential in Tunisia

The purpose of this paper is to constitute a database for the users of the wind power. It presents the study of 17 synoptic sites distributed on all the territory of Tunisia. From the meteorological data provided by the Meteorology National Institute (INM), two statistical methods (meteorological and Weibull) are presented to evaluate the wind speed characteristics and the wind power potential at a height of 10 m above ground level and in an open area. An extrapolation of these characteristics with the height is also carried out. The results obtained give a global vision of the distribution of the wind potential in Tunisia and define the most windy zones.