Wind characteristics and wind energy potential in Morocco

The wind characteristics of 11 sites in the windy regions in Morocco have been analysed. The annual average wind speed for the considered sites ranged from 5 m/s to 10 m/s and the average power density from 100 W/m² to 1000 W/m², which might be suitable for electrical power production by installing wind farms. On an annual scale the observations of the distribution of hourly wind speed are better fitted by the Weibull hybrid distribution in contrast to the Weibull distribution.The wind power is estimated to be 1817 MW, that is to say, the exploitable wind energy is 15198 GWh, which represents theoretically 11% of the total consumed energy in Morocco in 1994.     

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.     

The wind energy potential of western greece

In this study wind data have been used to determine the monthly and annual variations of the wind at 13 meterological stations in west Greece. An analysis of the available wind data for the Ionian Sea islands and the western coasts of Greece is carried out to ascertain its potential for wind energy development. The effect of the limited number of daily observations available on the accuracy of the mean wind speed and annual wind energy estimates is ascertained. The wind speed and direction distributions are represented with Weibull functions. Besides, a mass-consistent numerical mesoscale model has been used to give an overview of the wind prospecting and sitting problem, and an example of its use for Corfu (Kerkira), an island in the Ionian Sea, is given. The comparison of the accuracy of the stimulation results versus measured wind at an available site is quite encouraging even though it cannot be conclusive since only one station is available.     

Wind speed and wind energy potential of Jordan

Routine wind data from 11 stations in Jordan have been analysed. Monthly average, and seasonal wind speed and average power density distributions were determined for each station. The monthly average wind speed for the two most potential sites Ras Muneef (RA) and Mafraq (MF) ranged from 3.0 to 7.4 m/sec and the average power density for these two sites ranged from 110 to 370 W/m² at RA and from 105 to 470 W/m² at MF. An application of wind power as supplementary power supply is suggested and cost analysis is given.     

Wind power potential and time response of wind energy machines

Low-cost digital wind speed histogram recorders were designed to survey the west coast of British Columbia. Results are presented for several shore and island locations in terms of an available power parameter. Additional short term measurements of autocorrelation and cross-correlation functions showed ten-second exponential correlation in velocity fluctuations and gave values for the root mean square fluctuation. A derivation is given of the response time of a Darrieus wind energy converter, which has implications for the sampling time of any wind speed recorder, and for the power fluctuations to be expected from such a converter.     

Investigation of wind characteristics and wind energy potential in Kirklareli, Turkey

Utilization of wind energy as an energy source has been growing rapidly in the whole world due to environmental pollution, consumption of the limited fossil fuels and global warming. Although Turkey has fairly high wind energy potential, exploitation of the wind energy is still in the crawling level. In the current study, wind characteristics and wind energy potential of Kırklareli province in the Marmara Region, Turkey were analyzed taking into account the wind data measured as hourly time series. The wind data used in the study were taken from Electrical Power Resources Survey and Development Administration (EIEI) for the year 2004. The measured wind data were processed as annual, seasonal and monthly. Weibull and Rayleigh probability density functions of the location are calculated in the light of observed data and Weibull shape parameter k and scale parameter c are found as 1.75 and 5.25 m/s for the year 2004. According to the power calculations done for the site, annual mean power density based on Weibull function is 138.85 W/m². The results indicate that investigated site has fairly wind energy potential for the utilization.     

风 风能 风力发电——21世纪新型清洁能源

一风的一般属性１风的形成风是人们非常熟悉的一种自然现象，人人都能感觉到它的存在。春风和煦，给万物带来生机；夏风吹拂，使人心旷神怡；秋风送爽，带来丰收的喜悦；冬风呼啸，迎来漫天飞雪。那么风是怎样形成的呢？众所周知，人类生活的地球表面被大气所包围，来自太阳的辐射不断传送到地球表面，因太阳辐射受热情况不同，地球表面各处的气温不同。在影响气压高低的因素中，气温起着最重要的作用。温度高的地区空气受热上升，气压减小；温度低的地方，空气下降，气压增大，于是产生了气压差。和水往低处流一样，空气也从气压高处向气压…     

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.     

Wind energy potential in Syria

Both wind energy potential and the electricity that could be generated by the wind for the Syrian land have been evaluated. An appropriate computer program was especially prepared and designed to perform the required calculations, mainly the wind energy potential and the generated electricity, using the available meteorological data provided by the Syrian Atlas. The program is capable of processing the wind data for any specific area, that is of course, in accordance with the needed requirements in fields of researches and applications.Moreover, calculations show that a huge energy potential is available for direct exploitation and as much as twice the current electricity consumption in Syria can be generated by the wind resource.     

Wind energy potential in Aden-Yemen

The wind energy resource is very large and widely distributed throughout the world as well as in Yemen. Aden possesses a very good potential of wind energy. In this article a number of years data on wind speed in Aden has been studied and presented. A statistical analysis was carried out from which the annual wind speed was found to be 4.5 m/s and most of the time the wind speed is in the range of 3.5–7.5 m/s. The wind speed distributions were represented by Weibull and Rayleigh distributions. It was found that the Rayleigh distribution is suitable to represent the actual probability of wind speed data for Aden. The wind speed data showed that the maximum monthly wind speed occurs in the month of February with the maximum in the month of June. It is concluded that Aden can be explored for wind energy applications.     

Wind energy potential in Palestine

Weibull parameters of the wind speed distribution function were computed for 49 weather stations in Palestine. Wind potentials in kWh/m² yr were calculated at the above stations, then contours of wind potential were drawn. Electricity from the wind can be generated, in some locations in the West Bank, at a cost of 0.07 $/kWh.     

A practical and economic method for estimating wind characteristics at potential wind energy conversion sites

In order to assess the economic viability of installing a wind energy conversion system (WECS) at a site; it is necessary to know the wind characteristics at that site. Since it is usually impractical to measure wind at all potential sites over a suitably long period of time, it is necessary to develop a methodology that can provide accurate estimates of wind economically at potential WECS sites from data that are already available.A physically based, three-dimensional model has been developed that incorporates the effect of underlying terrain and uses available, conventional wind information from selected nearby weather stations. This model—called COMPLEX—is essentially an objective analysis computer program that interpolates values of wind from observations at irregularly spaced stations.The required statistical wind characteristics are estimated from the synthesized hourly winds, which are obtained by using the COMPLEX model; the model is used in conjunction with a method for reducing the number of variables while still retaining most of the information of the original data set. This involves eigenvectors of the covariance matrix of the original data set.The linear characteristics of the COMPLEX model have been used to obtain solutions directly for only the few eigenvectors of the input for any arbitrary set of observations from linear combinations of those solutions. We describe here an example of the application of the method to a potential wind energy conversion site at Boone, North Carolina.     

Investigation of wind characteristics and assessment of wind energy potential for Waterloo region,Canada

Wind energy becomes more and more attractive as one of the clean renewable energy resources. Knowledge of the wind characteristics is of great importance in the exploitation of wind energy resources for a site. It is essential in designing or selecting a wind energy conversion system for any application. This study examines the wind characteristics for the Waterloo region in Canada based on a data source measured at an elevation 10 m above the ground level over a 5-year period (1999–2003) with the emphasis on the suitability for wind energy technology applications. Characteristics such as annual, seasonal, monthly and diurnal wind speed variations and wind direction variations are examined. Wind speed data reveal that the windy months in Waterloo are from November to April, defined as the Cold Season in this study, with February being the windiest month. It is helpful that the high heating demand in the Cold Season coincides with the windy season. Analysis shows that the day time is the windy time, with 2 p.m. in the afternoon being the windiest moment. Moreover, a model derived from the maximum entropy principle (MEP) is applied to determine the diurnal, monthly, seasonal and yearly wind speed frequency distributions, and the corresponding Lagrangian parameters are determined. Based on these wind speed distributions, this study quantifies the available wind energy potential to provide practical information for the application of wind energy in this area. The yearly average wind power density is 105 W/m². The day and night time wind power density in the Cold Season is 180 and 111 W/m², respectively.     

Wind energy potential in Liguria region

In this work, the aim is to assess the current wind energy potential in the Liguria region, Italy, by the application of well assessed methodologies that are recalled within the paper. Data for a monitored period up to six and half years from 25 stations distributed over the four provinces of Liguria (i.e., La Spezia, Genoa, Savona and Imperia) have been analyzed.From the data obtained on the 25 stations, only 4 of them seem to be eligible for energy production, but, due to other constraints such as environmental protected areas, only one of them seems the only one where the wind potential – which has been quite stable in the years – can be effectively exploited. However, as usual in these cases, also due to the complex orography of Liguria region, a monitoring campaign on the field should be additionally performed on the site.     

California offshore wind energy potential

This study combines multi-year mesoscale modeling results, validated using offshore buoys with high-resolution bathymetry to create a wind energy resource assessment for offshore California (CA). The siting of an offshore wind farm is limited by water depth, with shallow water being generally preferable economically. Acceptable depths for offshore wind farms are divided into three categories: ≤20 m depth for monopile turbine foundations, ≤50 m depth for multi-leg turbine foundations, and ≤200 m depth for deep water floating turbines. The CA coast was further divided into three logical areas for analysis: Northern, Central, and Southern CA. A mesoscale meteorological model was then used at high horizontal resolution (5 and 1.67 km) to calculate annual 80 m wind speeds (turbine hub height) for each area, based on the average of the seasonal months January, April, July, and October of 2005/2006 and the entirety of 2007 (12 months). A 5 MW offshore wind turbine was used to create a preliminary resource assessment for offshore CA. Each geographical region was then characterized by its coastal transmission access, water depth, wind turbine development potential, and average 80 m wind speed. Initial estimates show that 1.4–2.3 GW, 4.4–8.3 GW, and 52.8–64.9 GW of deliverable power could be harnessed from offshore CA using monopile, multi-leg, and floating turbine foundations, respectively. A single proposed wind farm near Cape Mendocino could deliver an average 800 MW of gross renewable power and reduce CA's current carbon emitting electricity generation 4% on an energy basis. Unlike most of California's land based wind farms which peak at night, the offshore winds near Cape Mendocino are consistently fast throughout the day and night during all four seasons.     

Wind energy potential for Oman

The wind power potential was summarized using data from thirteen weather stations. The overall long term average wind speed for Oman is a moderate 3.67(s.d.=2.13) m/s yielding a potential power of 30.30 W. Wind speeds at four stations, Thumrait, Sur, Masirah and Marmul, are appreciably higher than the national average and hence these stations have a great potential for wind power utilization. More data needs to be collected for a better understanding of the wind power potential for Oman.     

Wind energy potential at Palkalainagar

This paper uses the Weibull's distribution function to describe the wind speed frequency distribution at Palkalainagar (geographical co-ordinates N : 9°54′, E : 78°54′), Madurai, India using the one year data available. Weibull's parameters are used to estimate the wind data parameters for the site. Of the wind data parameters the most important one is the annual specific output (T_A). This is used in determining the annual energy output of a Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS) and in conducting cost-benefit analysis of wind-electricity generation. The parameter is used in evaluating the efficiency of WECS in the same site. Results show the possibilities of harnessing wind energy towards electricity generation.     

Energy sector and wind energy potential in Turkey

Turkey has very limited indigenous energy resources and has to import around 65% of primary energy to meet her needs. It is a large importer of primary energy despite having ample renewable energy sources.Turkey’s vibrant economy has led to increased energy demand in recent years. This situation is expected to continue in the near future because its economy is dependent mainly on imported oil, natural gas and electricity.This paper presents the prevailing and the expected energy situation and energy demand. Wind energy potential in Turkey is also discussed.     

A statistical investigation of wind characteristics and wind energy potential based on the Weibull and Rayleigh models in Rwanda

A wind energy system converts the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical or electrical energy that can be harnessed for practical uses and transform the economy of rural areas where access to water and electricity is very restricted and industry is almost nonexistent in most of the developing countries like Rwanda. Assessing wind power potential for a location is an imperative requirement before making a decision for the installation of windmills or a wind electric generator and evaluating plans for relating projects. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential of wind resource in Rwanda and to constitute a database for the users of the wind power. A time series of hourly daily measured wind speed and wind direction for the period between 1974 and 1993 on five main Rwandan meteorological stations was provided by the National Meteorology Department. Statistical methods applying Weibull and Rayleigh distribution were presented to evaluate the wind speed characteristics and the wind power potential at a height of 10 m above ground level using hourly monthly average data. Those characteristics were extrapolated for higher levels in altitude. The results give a global picture of the distribution of the wind potential in different locations of Rwanda.     

The potential for wind energy in Britain

This paper discusses the prospects for the large-scale use of wind power for electricity supply in Britain. Recent economic advances in wind energy are outlined, and it is shown that on windy sites, currently-available machines are among the cheapest generating options. The results from detailed studies of wind energy resources, and of the long-term integration of wind power on the UK supply system, are then summarized. These studies are applied together in probabilistic projections of wind energy and power system costs. Results suggest that, siting permitting, the economic long-term contribution of wind energy in Britain is likely to lie in the range of 20–50% of system demand. The most critical questions for wind development now relate to institutional issues and the desirability of the source on such scales.