Abstract
Wind power has gained space in Brazil's energy matrix, being a clean source and inexhaustible. Therefore, it becomes important to characterize the wind potential of a given location, for future applications. The main objective of the present study was to estimate the wind energy potential in Piracicaba, SP, Brazil. The wind speed data were collected by an anemometer installed at the Meteorological Station Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, Piracicaba-SP. The wind speed variability was represented by the Weibull frequency distribution, a probability density function of two parameters (k and c). The parameters k and c were used to correlate the Gamma function with the annual average wind speed, the variance and power mean density. A wind profile was made to evaluate the behavior of historical average speeds at higher altitudes measured by anemometer, to estimate the gain in power density. The values of k for all heights were close to 1 which corresponds to a wind regime highly variable, and c values were also low representing a low average speed of the location. The location was characterized as being unfavorable for the application of wind turbines for power generation.
Highlights
In response to an enhanced awareness of the negative impacts of large-scale, fossil-fuel intensive energy generations, as well as the realization that the earth’s resources are finite, governments, organizations and individuals are showing increasing interest in small-scale, decentralized and low-carbon energy sources (Weekes & Tomlin, 2013).Renewable energy sources, including hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, wave and tide, and ocean thermal energy, have attracted increasing attention from all over the world due to their almost inexhaustible and nonpolluting characteristics (Li & Li, 2005)
The values of k for all heights were close to 1 which corresponds to a wind regime highly variable, and c values were low representing a low average speed of the location
Through laws 10,438/2002 and 10,762/2003, a Program was launched in Brazil to encourage renewable energy sources - PROINFA, which established the purchase of 3,299.40 MW of electrical energy from renewable sources in the integrated national system, being 1,422.92 MW by 54 wind plants, with the goal to increase the electrical energy supply, due to the increasing energy demand
Summary
In response to an enhanced awareness of the negative impacts of large-scale, fossil-fuel intensive energy generations, as well as the realization that the earth’s resources are finite, governments, organizations and individuals are showing increasing interest in small-scale, decentralized and low-carbon energy sources (Weekes & Tomlin, 2013). Renewable energy sources, including hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, wave and tide, and ocean thermal energy, have attracted increasing attention from all over the world due to their almost inexhaustible and nonpolluting characteristics (Li & Li, 2005). In the later part of 1990s, wind energy was the fastest growing energy technology in terms of percentage of yearly growth of installed capacity per technology source (Ackermann & Soder, 2002); among all renewable resources, wind is one of the most accessible. Brazil had an increase of the research investments, development and installation of the electrical generation Wind System. Thanks to technological advances, its costs are continuously being reduced (4 cents kW h-1), making it competitive against other energy sources (Song et al, 2003)
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