Abstract
Land based site selection for a wind farm has some challenging criteria, namely, cost for electricity generation and distribution, acquiring ownership of the site, potential barriers from various laws and permits, security concerns, access issues, feasibility of accommodation, etc. However, wind resource assessment deems the first criterion to rule out a site before other criteria can play roles in the selection process. In this paper, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study has been performed on a complex mountainous terrain near a shore in the west coast of the US to assess the wind resource in order to spot potential suitable sites for wind turbines. Average wind speed at a height of 10 m at the centre (44°22 ′ 12.0 ′ ′ N, 123°59 ′ 24.0 ′ ′ W) of the chosen region under study has been compared with the simulated data for validation. Results from the study, which yields a continuous map of flow field variables, have revealed much more detailed features than the available state-wise wind maps. For example, it has revealed as high as 147% variation in wind speeds and 438% in wind power, making it possible to choose suitable sites without the need for, or perhaps in advance of, expensive direct measurements. This type of analysis may help in preliminary assessments and expedite the site selection process.
Highlights
Energy demand is increasing around the world due to industrialization and development, and fossil fuels have been the major player to provide this energy
Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are an alternative to conventional fossil fuel but can provide power for the electricity deprived regions as in many rural and hilly areas in many countries and areas hit by natural disasters
The objective of this study is to generate a wind map of a region to spot locations as potential wind resource sites. It varies to some extent, if not significantly, at different elevations depending on the topographical features of the area
Summary
Energy demand is increasing around the world due to industrialization and development, and fossil fuels have been the major player to provide this energy. Renewable Energy Sources (RES) are an alternative to conventional fossil fuel but can provide power for the electricity deprived regions (where electricity supply from national grid is limited for installation costs and maintenance) as in many rural and hilly areas in many countries and areas hit by natural disasters. The clean energy market has been expanding gradually and has managed to reduce profits of fossil fuel companies. It has grown nearly six times compared to its business in 2004 by totalling about $329 billion in investment [1]. Awareness of governments around the world and support from corporations and the public alike have made it possible to cut down clean energy cost over years
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