Abstract
In the present work, the wind and wave conditions in the European nearshore are assessed considering a total of 118 years of data, covering the time interval from 1900 to 2017. In this context, special attention has been given to the western European coasts that are facing the ocean. In order to do this, the reanalysis data coming from three state-of-the-art databases (ERA Interim, ERA20C, and NCEP) were processed. Furthermore, a more complete picture was provided by also including the satellite measurements coming from the AVISO (Archiving, Validation and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic Data) project in the analysis. From this perspective, the distribution of the two marine energy resources was discussed, which throughout energetic maps—and further, on some specific reference sites—were defined at a distance of 50 km from the shore for more detailed analysis and comparison. As expected, the places located in the vicinity of the United Kingdom present more important energy resources, but some other interesting sites were also highlighted. Furthermore, although each dataset is defined by particular features, there is a similar pattern in the identification of the sites’ attractiveness, regardless of the database considered for assessment.
Highlights
On a European scale, a lot of effort has been made during the recent decades to promote the use of renewable sources in the energy market [1,2,3]
In the case of site E1, which seems to be characterized by moderate wind resources, the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) data present a minimum of 373 W/m2 for the 99th, compared with a value located close to 1500 W/m2, which is reported by the ERAInterim, ERA20C, and AVISO, respectively
The wind and wave energy characteristics are significantly influenced by different factors such as the combination of latitude and longitude, the distance from the shore, or the spatial orientation of the coastline
Summary
On a European scale, a lot of effort has been made during the recent decades to promote the use of renewable sources in the energy market [1,2,3]. In order to solve this problem, new techniques were developed in recent years These are capable of accurately identifying the evolution of the wind and wave conditions, among which the satellite measurements can be mentioned [14], or the reanalysis databases [15]. In the work presented by Bernardino and Guedes Soares [36], the wind and waves from the Portuguese coast were evaluated from a meteorological point of view, by using the ERA Interim and ERA20C datasets In this case, the analysis was limited to a single reference site, which was located approximately 260 km from the shore, for which a total of 110-years of data were processed. Highlighting the joint evaluation of the European wind and wave energy potential, by considering multiple datasets which cover the time interval from 1900 to 2017 (118 years of data in total); 2. Highlight the spatial and seasonal agreement (if any), by considering various reference sites defined at about 50 km distance from the shoreline
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