Wind energy potential and economic evaluation of WPS using WECSs in three selected locations of Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

This paper analyzes wind energy potential and economic evaluation of water pumping system (WPS) employed by various wind energy conversion systems (WECSs). The wind speed data gathered from three different locations of Northern Ethiopia are analyzed using the Weibull probability density function. The performance of small- to medium-sized commercial wind turbine models of various rated powers ranging between 25 and 2000 kW are analyzed. Economic evaluation of WPS (used in various WECSs) is performed using present value of cost (PVC) approach. According to the Pacific Northwest Laboratories (PNL) wind resources classification scheme, all the selected locations fall into the Class 1 category; hence they can be considered marginally for water pumping and small-scale electricity generation. It is noted that the POLARIS P 12–25 and the POLARIS P 15–50 are the most economical options for electricity generation and water pumping applications in the region.