Abstract
The wind resource assessment for three locations in Rakiraki, Fiji are carried out. The wind resources at Rokavukavu and Navolau has been analyzed along with the nearby Tuvavatu site. The annual diurnal wind speed, wind shear and turbulence intensity were analyzed. Rokavukavu, Navolau and Tuvavatu site has an average wind speed of 5.91 m/s, 8.94 m/s and 8.13 m/s respectively at 55 m above ground level (a.g.l). The wind direction for all the three sites is predominantly South-East. The diurnal wind speed pattern and the wind shear pattern for all the three sites were consistently similar. The turbulence intensity at Rokavukavu, Navolau and Tuvavatu were found to be 14.9%, 17.1% and 11.7% at 55 m a.g.l. The Weibull parameters and the wind power density were obtained for all the three sites by using the moment fitting method. A high resolution wind resource map for the three sites were obtained using Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP). The WAsP analysis indicates good wind potential at Navolau and Tuvavatu site for power production. The annual energy production (AEP) with six Vergnet 275 kW wind turbines for Navolau and Tuvavatu site is estimated and an economic analysis is performed, which exhibited a payback period of 5 and 6 years respectively.
Highlights
To combat the effect of climate change more effort has been placed towards lowering the carbon dioxide emissions
Harnessing of wind energy has been made possible through the use of modern wind turbines namely Horizontally Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) and Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT)
This study will focus on the construction of the wind resource map of Rakiraki, Fiji Island by using Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP)
Summary
Resources and Environmental Economics, June 2020, Vol 2, No 2 for this reason it is dynamically pursued in voluminous and developing countries. The selection of the sites for the construction of the wind farms without considering the use of wind resource map, generally lacks credibility in terms of available wind resources[7]. Wind resource map plays a major role in assessing and depicting the available wind resources that assists in the siting, development and in the successful operation of the wind farms. It permits the wind power developers and the policy makers with the unified illustrations of the expected wind speed at an altitude which corresponds to the hub height of the turbines. The wind speed map will be obtained and the preeminent map will be determined that will describe the spatial wind distribution over Rakiraki, Fiji Island
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