Determination and utilization of wind energy potential for Turkey

In this study, potential and development of wind energy systems in Turkey were studied. The potential and current usage was reviewed. The objective of the study is to investigate the wind energy plants and projects in Turkey. The wind energy potential of various regions and the exploitation of the wind energy were investigated by analyzing 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 2004. Nurda??, Karabiga, Datça, Band?rma, Antakya, Mardin, and Kumköy areas were found to be the most suitable areas for wind energy systems by their wind densities; Sinop, Gökçeada, and Siverek are following these areas. The results indicate that the investigated sites have fairly satisfactory wind energy potential for the utilization.     

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 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.     

A statistical analysis of wind power density based on the Weibull and Rayleigh models at the southern region of Turkey

The electric generating capacity of Turkey must be tripled by 2010 to meet Turkey’s electric power consumption, if the annual 8% growth in electric power consumption continues. Turkey has to make use of its renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar, not only to meet the increasing energy demand, but also for environmental reasons. Studies show that Iskenderun (36°35′N; 36°10′E) located on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey is amongst the possible wind energy generation regions. In the present study, the wind energy potential of the region is statistically analyzed based on 1-year measured hourly time-series wind speed data. The probability density distributions are derived from time-series data and distributional parameters are identified. Two probability density functions are fitted to the measured probability distributions on a monthly basis. The wind energy potential of the location is studied based on the Weibull and the Rayleigh models.     

Projected changes in wind speed and its energy potential in China using a high‐resolution regional climate model

Following its commitment to Paris Agreement in 2015, China has started to explore potential renewable energy solutions with low carbon emissions to mitigate global warming. Though wind energy is one of the most cost‐effective solutions and has been favored for climate policy development around the world, its high sensitivity to climate change raises some critical issues for the long‐term effectiveness in providing sustainable energy supply. Particularly, how wind speed and its energy potential in China will change in the context of global warming is still not well understood. In this paper, we simulate the near‐surface wind speed over China using the PRECIS regional climate modeling system under different RCP emission scenarios for assessing the possible changes in wind speed and wind energy availability over China throughout the 21^st century. Overall, the PRECIS model can reasonably reproduce the mesoscale climatological near‐surface wind speed and directions as documented in reanalysis data across most regions of China, while some local discrepancies are reported in the southwestern regions. In the future, the annual mean wind speed would be decreasing in most regions of China, except for a slightly increase in the southeast. The expected changes in wind speed are characterized with different amplitudes and rates under different RCP emission scenarios. The changes in the spatial distribution of wind speed seem to be sensitive for RCP climate emission scenarios, especially in the late 21^st century. The spatiotemporal changes in wind energy potential exhibit a similar behavior to those in near‐surface wind speed, but the magnitudes of these changes are larger. In general, the wind power density is expected to increase by over 5% in winter in the major wind fields in China (ie, Northwest, Northcentral and Northeast), while significant decreases (by about 6% on average) are projected for other seasons (ie, spring, summer and autumn). By contrast, the wind energy potential in the northeast would increase over most months in the year, especially in winter and summer. The results of this research are of great importance for understanding where and to what extent the wind energy can be utilized to contribute renewable energy system development in China in support of its long‐term climate change mitigation commitment.     

An investigation of wind characteristics on the campus of Izmir Institute of Technology, Turkey

The European Wind Atlas shows a very high wind energy capacity over the Aegean Sea and its coastal regions. Therefore, the western region of Turkey, which has a long coast along the Aegean Sea, appears to have high potential of wind energy. As a result of this fact, several studies have been performed to estimate the wind potential, especially, in western Turkey. However, due to the absence of a reliable and accurate Wind Atlas of Turkey, further studies on the assessment of wind energy in Turkey are necessary. In this study, the characteristics of wind on the campus of Izmir Institute of Technology, located in Cesme peninsula which has long coastline along the Aegean Sea, were studied over a period of one year. Measured data set and its evaluation showed that Izmir Institute of Technology campus area has a considerable wind energy potential. The study presented here is an attempt to promote wind energy in Turkey and to bridge the gap in order to create prospective Turkish Wind Atlas.     

On the wind energy in Turkey

Increase in negative effects of fossil fuels on the environment has forced many countries, including Turkey, to use renewable energy sources. Today, clean, domestic and renewable energy is commonly accepted as the key for future life, not only for Turkey but also for the world. As wind energy is an alternative clean energy source compared to the fossil fuels that pollute the atmosphere, systems that convert wind energy to electricity have developed rapidly. Turkey is an energy importing country, more than half of the energy requirement has been supplied by imports. Turkey's domestic fossil fuel resources are extremely limited. In addition, Turkey's geographical location has several advantages for extensive use of wind power. In this context, renewable energy resources appear to be one of the most efficient and effective solutions for sustainable energy development and environmental pollution prevention in Turkey. Since wind energy will be used more and more in the future, its current potential, usage, and assessment in Turkey is the focus of the present study. The paper not only presents a review of the potential and utilization of the wind power in Turkey but also provides some guidelines for policy makers.     

Areal assessment of wind speed and topography with applications in Turkey

Areal assessments of wind speeds and topography are necessary to determine the wind energy potential of an airshed. For such an assessment, the Point Cumulative Semi-Variogram (PCSV) concept is presented and applied to wind speed and topographic height records at a set of irregularly scattered sites over Turkey. The PCSVs have in their structure the combined effects of nearby site topography, wind speed and roughness features at the planetary boundary layer. On the basis of PCSVs, nearby site features are classified into five distinctive categories. The PCSVs provide useful information concerning the regional mutual relationships between the topographic and wind characteristics around each site. PCSVs for 35 wind speed measurement sites in Turkey are presented in detail with local interpretations and discussions. The application revealed that Turkish wind speeds are areally heterogeneous and have five categories.     

A numerical approach for planning offshore wind farms from regional to local scales over the Mediterranean

Renewable energy resources, such as wind, are available worldwide. Locating areas with high and continual wind sources are crucial in pre-planning of wind farms. Vast offshore areas are characterized by higher and more reliable wind resources in comparison with continental areas. However, offshore wind energy production is in a quite preliminary phase. Elaborating the potential productivity of wind farms over such areas is challenging due to sparse in situ observations. The Mediterranean basin is not an exception. In this study we are proposing numerical simulations of near-surface wind fields from regional climate models (RCMs) in order to obtain and fill the gaps in observations over the Mediterranean basin. Four simulations produced with two regional climate models are examined here. Remote sensing observations (QuikSCAT satellite) are used to assess the skill of the simulated fields. A technique for estimating the potential energy from the wind fields over the region is introduced. The wind energy potential atlas and the map of a wind turbine's functional range are presented, locating the potentially interesting sub-regions for wind farms. The ability of models to reproduce the annual cycle and the probability density function of wind speed anomalies are detailed for specified sub-regions.     

Assessment of wind power potential for turbine installation in coastal areas of Turkey

This paper analyses the potential and the feasibility basis for the wind energy resources in some locations of coastal regions of Turkey. The dominant wind directions, the mean values, wind speeds, wind potential and the frequency distributions were determined. The results showed that Bal?kesir and Çanakkale among annual averages show higher value of mean wind speed. The mean annual value of Weibull shape parameter k is between 1.54 and 1.86 while the annual value of scale parameter c is between 2.52 m/s and 8.34 m/s. A technical assessment has been made of electricity generation from four wind turbines having capacity of 600 kW, 1500 kW, 2000 kW and 2500 kW. The yearly energy output and capacity factor for the four different turbines were calculated.     

An analysis of wind power density derived from several wind speed density functions: The regional assessment on wind power in Malaysia

In wind turbine design and site planning, the probability distribution of wind speed becomes critically important in estimating energy production. The utilization of accurate distribution will minimize the uncertainty in wind resource estimates, and consequently, it will improve the result in the site assessment phase of planning. In general, different region will have different wind regime. Hence, it is reasonable that different wind speed distribution will be found for different region. In this study, the features of wind power density based on the dependency of the suitable wind speed density have been obtained analytically using transformation technique. Since the wind power density has been obtained, the mean power density which is referred as an important indices related to the estimation of potential wind energy have been obtained by using the concept of raw moment and Monte Carlo approach. An analysis of semivariogram indicates the lack of spatial correlation of the wind power in Malaysia. The map of the mean power density over Malaysia indicates that several regions such as northeast, northwest and southeast region of Peninsular Malaysia and southern region of Sabah are found as the best region to be further investigated in the future for the wind energy development.     

Daily wind speed harmonic analysis for Marmara region in Turkey

Presently exploited rates of fossil fuels are expected to deplete resources within the next 40–50 years, and consequently, human beings seek alternative energy resources that are clean, friendly to the environment and sustainable. Accumulation of carbon dioxide in the lower layers of the atmosphere may cause climate change and consequent occurrence of floods, intensive rainfalls and droughts. In order to reduce such dangerous effects all countries have to try to improve their energy resources quality and, if possible, to replace fossil fuels, such as coal, with the renewable alternatives of wind, solar and solar-hydrogen energies. Among these, wind power has a priori significance for Turkey. Wind time series depend very much on meteorological measurements of wind direction and velocity. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, it is difficult to obtain such data for wind speed time series assessments.In this study, harmonic analysis is used to model the daily wind speed values recorded at ten stations in the Marmara region, Turkey, with distinct meteorological conditions from 1993 to 1997. The coefficients, amplitude, variance and phase angle, of each harmonic are calculated for the months of January, April, July and October, leading to total variance maps for spatial interpolations. It is seen that up to the 9th harmonic more than 80% of the total variance can be presented. The western and eastern parts of the Marmara region have different wind pattern characteristics. The contributions of each harmonic to the total variance are calculated, and then regional variance maps are evaluated.     

Assessment of wind characteristics and wind turbine characteristics in Taiwan

Wind characteristics and wind turbine characteristics in Taiwan have been thoughtfully analyzed based on a long-term measured data source (1961–1999) of hourly mean wind speed at 25 meteorological stations across Taiwan. A two-stage procedure for estimating wind resource is proposed. The yearly wind speed distribution and wind power density for the entire Taiwan is firstly evaluated to provide annually spatial mean information of wind energy potential. A mathematical formulation using a two-parameter Weibull wind speed distribution is further established to estimate the wind energy generated by an ideal turbine and the monthly actual wind energy generated by a wind turbine operated at cubic relation of power between cut-in and rated wind speed and constant power between rated and cut-out wind speed. Three types of wind turbine characteristics (the availability factor, the capacity factor and the wind turbine efficiency) are emphasized. The monthly wind characteristics and monthly wind turbine characteristics for four meteorological stations with high winds are investigated and compared with each other as well. The results show the general availability of wind energy potential across Taiwan.     

Wind energy status in electrical energy production of Turkey

Main electrical energy sources of Turkey are thermal (lignite, natural gas, coal, fuel oil, etc.) and hydraulic. Most of the thermal sources are derived from natural gas. Turkey imports natural gas; therefore, decreasing usage of natural gas is very important for both economical and environmental aspects. Because of disadvantages of fossil fuels, renewable energy sources are getting importance for sustainable energy development and environmental protection. Among the renewable sources, Turkey has very high wind energy potential. However the installed wind power capacity is only 0.22% of total economical wind potential. In this study, Turkey's installed electric power capacity, electric energy production is investigated and also Turkey current wind energy status is examined.     

Exergy analysis in a wind speed prognostic model as a wind farm sitting selection tool: A case study in Southern Greece

In the present paper, the wind potential of Central Peloponnese in Greece has been studied and the Exergy Analysis methodology was implemented as a wind farm sitting selection tool. The wind speed of the chosen regions of Central Peloponnese was studied and correlated based on the measurements of three specific sites in the wider area using a software based prognostic model using intercomparisons of cross-predictions among these sites. The Exergy Analysis implemented in this innovative wind speed forecasting model is used to identify the actual use of energy from the existing available energy and to evaluate the proposed sites appropriate for wind farm development ending up to an accurate wind map of the area.     

Wind energy status in renewable electrical energy production in Turkey

Main electrical energy sources of Turkey are thermal and hydraulic. Most of the thermal sources are derived from natural gas. Turkey imports natural gas; therefore, decreasing usage of natural gas is very important for both economical and environmental aspects. Because of disadvantages of fossil fuels, renewable energy sources are getting importance for sustainable energy development and environmental protection. Among the renewable sources, Turkey has very high wind energy potential. The estimated wind power capacity of Turkey is about 83,000 MW while only 10,000 MW of it seems to be economically feasible to use. Start 2009, the total installed wind power capacity of Turkey was only 4.3% of its total economical wind power potential (433 MW). However, the strong development of wind energy in Turkey is expected to continue in the coming years. In this study, Turkey's installed electric power capacity, electric energy production is investigated and also Turkey current wind energy status is examined.     

An investigation on wind power potential of Nurda ı-Gaziantep, Turkey

Turkey is one of the developing countries. The production of electricity in Turkey is basically focused on hydro-power and thermal-power. On the other hand, measurements show that Turkey has a reasonable wind potential but this potential was not being used for many years due to government policies which supported the use of petroleum, coal, and hydro power as energy sources. In recent years there is an increasing interest in using wind energy as one of the energy sources. This paper briefly introduces a study of the determination of wind power potential of Nurda ı/Gaziantep district where is on the south of Turkey for future wind power generation projects. Evaluation of wind data; taken by Turkish Electrical Power Resources Development Administration at the foot of the mountain, Nurda ı, shows that the district has a mean wind speed of 7.3 m/s at 10 m height and observed highest value wind speed is 23.3 m/s. Mean power density of the site is found as 222 W/m² and the results suggest that the site encourages investors especially since the terrain is a grassy plain on the side of the mountain and the measurements are taken at 10 m height.     

Evaluation of wind energy investment interest and electricity generation cost analysis for Turkey

Turkey has remarkable wind energy potential, but its utilisation rate is very low. However, in 2007, energy investors applied to the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) with 751 wind projects to obtain a 78180.2 MW wind power plant license. This paper first presents an overview of wind energy development in the world and then reviews related situations in Turkey. Second, to motivate the interest in wind energy investment, new wind power plant license applications in Turkey are analysed. Finally, wind electricity generation cost analyses were performed at 14 locations in Turkey. Capacity factors of investigated locations were calculated between 19.7% and 56.8%, and the production cost of electrical energy was between 1.73 and 4.99 $cent/kW h for two different wind shear coefficients.     

Evaluation of electricity generation and energy cost of wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) in Central Turkey

The negative effects of non-renewable fossil fuels have forced scientists to draw attention to clean energy sources which are both environmentally more suitable and renewable. Although Turkey enjoys fairly high wind energy potential, an investigation and exploitation of this source is still below the desired level. In this study which is a preliminary study on wind energy cost in Central Anatolian-Turkey, the wind energy production using time-series approach and the economic evaluation of various wind energy conversion systems (WECSs) enjoying the 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 and 150 kW rated power size using the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) method for the seven different locations in Central Turkey were estimated. In addition, effects of escalation ratio of operation and maintenance cost and annual mean speed on LCOE are taken into account. The wind speed data for a period between 2000 and 2006 years were taken from Turkish State Meteorological Service (TSMS). According to the result of the calculations, it is shown that the WECS of capacity 150 kW produce the energy output 120,978 kWh per year in the Case-A (Pinarbasi) for hub height 30 m and also the LCOE varies in the range of 0.29–30.0 $/kWh for all WECS considered.