Application of GIS and Remote Sensing in Determining Trends in Wind Energy Potential and Its Uses for Designing Development Strategies in Ghana

Abstract

This paper is purported to determine the wind energy potential of Ghana for 2010 and 2018 using GIS and RS technologies and how the result could be used to develop a country strategy that benefits the ordinary Ghanaian. In doing this, two different wind potential maps of Ghana were generated for 2010 and 2018 using data from Ghana meteorological Unit and Windfinder respectively. Moreover, the Inverse Distance Weighted interpolation of winds peed was used to generate the maps at different hub heights for 2010 and 2018. The results indicate that, the 2010 wind map showed wind speed is highest (8m/s) in the southernmost part of Ghana (i.e. Coastal part of Greater Accra and Volta Regions) at 10m high while the wind map of 2018 showed that wind speed is highest (9m/s) in the Upper East Region of Ghana at 10m high. As wind energy is untapped in Ghana, we advised that Government should further explore the results for the Upper East Region in ascertaining that it was not influenced by Trade winds and apply to different sectors of the economy through appropriate institutional regulations. The wind energy in Northern Ghana should be dedicated to mechanized agriculture, augmenting electricity tariffs for the poor in those areas and extending electricity to rural communities that do not have access to the national grid under the rural electrification project. Meanwhile, the wind energy generated from the southern part of Ghana should be dedicated mostly to commercial and industrial activities. Keywords: Wind Energy Potential, mechanized agriculture, industrial application, GIS, RS