Wind Energy Density Research Articles

Economic Feasibility of Floating Offshore Wind Farms Considering Near Future Wind Resources: Case Study of Iberian Coast and Bay of Biscay.

Wind energy resources are subject to changes in climate, so the use of wind energy density projections in the near future is essential to determine the viability and profitability of wind farms at particular locations. Thus, a step forward in determining the economic assessment of floating offshore wind farms was taken by considering current and near-future wind energy resources in assessing the main parameters that determine the economic viability (net present value, internal rate of return, and levelized cost of energy) of wind farms. This study was carried out along the Atlantic coast from Brest to Cape St. Vincent. Results show that the future reduction in wind energy density (2%–6%) mainly affects the net present value (NPV) of the farm and has little influence on the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). This study provides a good estimate of the economic viability of OWFs (Offshore Wind Farms) by taking into account how wind resources can vary due to climate change over the lifetime of the farm.

Assessment of Wind Characteristics and Wind Power Potential of Gharo, Pakistan

The objective of this research work is to assess the wind characteristics and wind power potential of Gharo site. The wind parameters of the site have been used to calculate the wind power density, annual energy yield, and capacity factors at 10, 30, and 50 m. The wind frequency distribution including seasonal as well as percentage of seasonal frequency distribution has been investigated to determine accurately the wind power of the site. The coefficient of variation is calculated at three different heights. Also, economic assessment per kWh of energy has been carried out. The site-specific annual mean wind speeds were 6.89, 5.85, and 3.85 m/s at 50, 30, and 10 m heights with corresponding standard deviations of 2.946, 2.489, and 2.040. The mean values of the Weibull k parameter are estimated as 2.946, 2.489, and 2.040 while those of scale parameter are estimated as 7.634, 6.465, and 4.180 m/s at 50, 30, and 10 m, respectively. The respective mean wind power and energy density values are found to be 118.3, 92.20, and 46.10 W/m2 and 1036.6, 807.90, and 402.60 kWh/m2. As per cost estimation of wind turbines, the wind turbine WT-C has the lowest cost of US$ Cents 0.0346/kWh and highest capacity factors of 0.3278 (32.78%). Wind turbine WT-C is recommended for this site for the wind farm deployment due to high energy generation and minimum price of energy. The results show the appropriateness of the methodology for assessing the wind speed and economic assessment at the lowest price of energy.

The present and future offshore wind resource in the Southwestern African region

In the last decades, offshore wind harvesting has increased enormously, and is seen as a renewable energy resource with great potential in many regions of the world. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how this resource will evolve in a warming climate. In the present study, offshore wind resource in the Southwestern African region is analysed for the present and future climates. A ROM (REMO-OASIS-MPIOM) climate simulation in uncoupled and coupled atmosphere–ocean mode, at 25 km horizontal resolution, and a multi-model ensemble built with a set of regional climate models from the CORDEX-Africa experiment at 0.44° resolution were used. The projected changes of the offshore wind energy density throughout the twenty-first century are examined following the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 greenhouse gas emissions scenarios. Characterised by strong coastal-parallel winds, the Southwestern African offshore region shows high values of wind energy density at 100 m, up to 1500 Wm−2 near the coast, particularly offshore Namibia and west South Africa. Conversely, along Angola’s coast the available offshore wind energy density is lower. Throughout the twenty-first century, for the weaker climate mitigation scenario (RCP8.5), an increase of the offshore wind resource is projected to occur along Namibia and South African western coasts, more pronounced at the end of the century (+ 24%), while a decrease is projected along Angola’s coasts, reaching a negative anomaly of about − 32%. Smaller changes but with the same pattern are projected for the stronger climate mitigation scenario (RCP4.5). The future deployment of offshore floating hub turbines placed at higher heights may allow higher production of energy in this region. Along offshore Namibia and west South Africa, the wind energy density at 250 m showed differences that range between 30 and 50% relative to wind energy density at 100 m.

Assessment of Wind Speed and Power Density Using Weibull and Rayleigh Distributions at Turbat, Balochistan, Pakistan

The meager economic situation, indefinite energy crisis, industrial modernization, and hazardous contamination impulse the empiricist to transcend the attention on renewable energy resources in Pakistan. One of the most rapidly growing renewable energy sources is wind energy. The main goal of this research work is to examine the wind characteristics and wind potential at the site of Turbat, Balochistan, Pakistan. For this purpose, the measured hourly time series data was collected from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (CPDC, Karachi) for 21 months (Jan 2012 – Sep 2013). After evaluating the monthly average wind speed (> 4 m/s), the average value of most probable wind speed (3.83 m/s), the average value of wind speed carrying maximum energy (7.732 m/s), and the standard deviation of the data (1.699 – 3.306), the results are used to statistically evaluate the data by Weibull and Rayleigh distributions for the selected site. The monthly average value of wind power and energy densities of the selected site is 140.145 W/m2 and 101.775 kWh/m2, respectively. A comparison was made between the mean power potential of the site and the power potential assessed using the Weibull and Rayleigh distributions. It was revealed that the Weibull distribution depicted the data more accurately. This statement is further enriched by the assessment of the performance of both distributions with the RMSE, χ2, and R2 tests

A Storage and Transmission Joint Planning Method for Centralized Wind Power Transmission

Centralized delivery has become the main operation mode under the scaled development of wind power. Transmission channels are usually the guarantee of out-delivered wind power for large-scale wind base. The configuration of transmission capacity, which has the features of low utilization and poor economy, is hardly matching correctly due to the volatility and low energy density of wind. The usage of energy storage can mitigate wind power fluctuations and reduce the requirement of out-delivery transmission capacity, but facing the issue of energy storage cost recovery. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the allocation of energy storage while considering the problem of wind power transmission. This paper studies the joint optimization of large-scale wind power transmission capacity and energy storage, reveals the mechanism of energy storage in order to reduce the power fluctuation of wind power base and slow down the demand of transmission. Then, analyze the multi-functional cost-sharing mode of energy storage, improve the efficiency of energy storage cost recovery. Constructs the coordination optimization configuration model to deal with the problem of large-scale wind power transmission capacity and energy storage, and realizes the transmission capacity optimization coordination and optimization with energy storage. The proposed method is verified by a wind base located in Northeast China.

Wind resource and energy potential assessment of the Sujawal site, Sindh Pakistan

PurposeThe objective of this paper to assess the wind energy potential of the Sujawal site for minimizing the dependence on fossil fuels.Design/methodology/approachThe site-specific wind shear coefficient and the turbulence model were investigated. The two-parameter, k and c, Weibull distribution function was used to analyze the wind speed of the Sujawal site. The standard deviation of the site was also assessed for a period of a year. Also, the coefficient of variation was carried out to determine the difference at each height. The wind power and energy densities were assessed for a period of a year. The economic assessment of energy/kWh was investigated for selection of appropriate wind turbine.FindingsThe mean wind shear of the Sujawal site was found to be 0.274. The mean wind speed was found to be 7.458, 6.911, 6.438 and 5.347 at 80, 60, 40 and 20 m, respectively, above the ground level (AGL). The mean values of k parameter were observed to be 2.302, 2.767, 3.026 and 3.105 at 20, 40, 60 and 80 m, respectively, for a period of a year. The Weibull c m/s parameter values were found to be 8.415, 7.797, 7.265 and 6.084 m/s at 80, 60, 40 and 20 m, respectively. The mean values of standard deviation were found to be 0.765, 0.737, 0.681 and 0.650 at 20, 40, 60, and 80 m, respectively. The mean wind power density (W/m2) was found to be 287.33, 357.16, 405.16 and 659.58 for 20, 40, 60 and 80 m, respectively. The economic assessment showed that wind turbine 7 had the minimum cost/kWh US$ 0.0298.Originality/valueThe Sujawal site is suitable for installing the utility wind turbines for energy generation at the lowest cost; hence, a sustainable solution.

Current scenario of wind power in India, government policies, initiatives, status and challenges

PurposeThis paper aims to review the role of government initiatives for the development of wind power industries in India, to provide better and benevolent policies in the production of wind energy density and to maximize the use of the renewable source of energy which permits to reduce carbon emission from the coal-based power plant and to curtail tackle need of society and mitigate poverty.Design/methodology/approachThe present study is carried out on the current position of wind power generation in India. Government policies for promoting clean energy and associated problems are also analysed herein detail. However, secondary approaches are opted in terms of alertness of caring for the environment hazardous and reduced the major economies aspects by fulfilling the schema of Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.FindingsThe prospective of wind energy generation is huge, as an ancient source of energy, wind can be used both as a source of electricity and for agricultural, irrigation uses. The study of wind turbine blades and its features showed how it can be properly fabricated and used to extract the maximum power, even at variable and low wind speeds.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough India has achieved a remarkable advancement in wind power sectors, it needs to eradicate all the loopholes to evolve as super power in wind energy sector leaving behind its rivalry China. To do this, it is required to develop in many fields such as skilled manpower, advancement in research and development, grid and turbine installation, proper distribution, smooth land acquisition, modern infrastructure, high investment and above all industry friendly government policy.Practical implicationsThe present study finds out effects of wind power energy as a source of renewable energy to mitigate energy crisis.Social implicationsAs a source of renewable energy and cost effectiveness, wind power can be evolved as a potential means enhance social life.Originality/valueThe present paper caries out critical analysis for the active use of renewable energy in the present and forthcoming days. Such unique analysis must help India as a developing nation to balance its energy crisis.

OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY RESOURCE ASSESSMENT IN MALAYSIA WITH SATELLITE ALTIMETRY

Realistic view on the potential of offshore wind farm development in Malaysia is necessary and requires accurate and wide coverage of wind speed data. Long term global datasets of satellite altimetry of wind speed provide a potentially valuable resource to identify the potential of offshore wind energy in Malaysia. This paper presents three different assessments of offshore wind energy resources in Malaysia using satellite altimetry. The wind speed data obtained from Radar Altimeter Database System (RADS) were validated and identified to be in agreement with previous studies. The resources were then assessed at three different levels; theoretical, technical and practical offshore wind energy potential. The technical resource potential was assessed by taking into consideration the available offshore wind turbine technology. Conflicting uses and environmental constraints that define the practical offshore wind energy resources are plotted on the maps to present a practicality of offshore wind farm development in Malaysian sea. The study concluded that, in theoretical view, Malaysia does have potential of offshore wind energy resource especially in Borneo Water with average annual wind energy density above 500 kWh/m2. However, the development of offshore wind farm in Malaysia will be difficult taking into consideration the technical and practical challenge.

Investigation of wind shear coefficients and their effect on annual energy yields along the coastal sites of Pakistan

Ten-year hourly recorded wind meteorological data at six sites along the coastline of Pakistan at two heights (10 and 50 m) were extrapolated to two higher heights (80 and 100 m). Monthly and seasonal analysis of variation in air density (ρ), wind speed, Weibull parameters ( K and C), wind power density, and wind energy density with height was investigated. Analysis shows that wind shear coefficient is highest in winter and lowest in summer. ρ, wind speed, wind power density, and wind energy density all increase with increasing hub height, with the most prominent increment in winter and the lowest in summer. With increasing height, K has been found to decrease slightly while C increases. Techno-economic feasibility analysis of annual energy production using 15 turbines was carried out which shows that capacity factor alone cannot render a turbine feasible but also economic assessment is mandatory to evaluate the feasibility of turbines. G1 and G2 turbines have been found the best options while B5 and V2 as the worst. Comparison among sites shows that Karachi is the most potential site with cost of energy of $0.017/kW h while Jiwani is the worst site with cost of energy of $0.039/kW h both at 100 m height.

RETRACTED: A newly proposed method for Weibull parameters estimation and assessment of wind potential in Southern Punjab

Abstract Accuracy of wind potential estimation using two-parameter Weibull distribution relies on the accuracy with which Weibull distribution models the wind data. Therefore, there is always a thirst for developing better methods for the estimation of Weibull parameters. Current work focusses on the investigation of a newly proposed method called Modified Method of Moment (MMOM) and comparing it with two other methods i.e. Energy Pattern Factor Method (EPFM) and Method of Moment (MOM) to assess wind potential in South Punjab. Five years (2014–2018) hourly wind data measured at 50 m height and collected from Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) was utilized. Performance of EPFM, MOM and MMOM was evaluated using coefficient of determination, root mean square error and power error. Monthly, seasonal and annual variations in wind speed, wind power density (WPD) and wind energy density (WED) were analyzed and annual energy production using six turbine models was also estimated. The analysis showed that MMOM is the best method followed by MOM and EPFM respectively. Furthermore, the highest wind potential is observed in summer while lowest in winter in whole region. Polar diagrams showed that the optimum wind direction in the area is southwest.

Wind potential estimation and proposed energy production in Southern Punjab using Weibull probability density function and surface measured data

Current work focusses on the wind potential assessment in South Punjab. Eleven locations from South Punjab have been analyzed using two-parameter Weibull model (with Energy Pattern Factor Method to estimate Weibull parameters) and five years (2014–2018) hourly wind data measured at 50 m height and collected from Pakistan Meteorological Department. Techno-economic analysis of energy production using six different turbine models was carried out with the purpose of presenting a clear picture about the importance of turbine selection at particular location. The analysis showed that Rahim Yar Khan carries the highest wind speed, highest wind power density, and wind energy density with values 4.40 ms−1, 77.2 W/m2 and 677.76 kWh/m2/year, respectively. On the other extreme, Bahawalnagar observes the least wind speed i.e. 3.60 ms−1 while Layyah observes the minimum wind power density and wind energy density as 38.96 W/m2 and 352.24 kWh/m2/year, respectively. According to National Renewable Energy Laboratory standards, wind potential ranging from 0 to 200 W/m2 is considered poor. Economic assessment was carried out to find feasibility of the location for energy harvesting. Finally, Polar diagrams drawn to show the optimum wind blowing directions shows that optimum wind direction in the region is southwest.

Wind and solar energy utilization for seawater desalination and hydrogen production in the coastal areas of southern Iran

PurposeAcute shortage of potable water and energy supplies is expected to raise in developing countries in the near future. One solid way to address these issues is to exploit renewable energy resources efficiently. Hence, this study aims to investigate wind and solar energy use in the coastal areas of southern Iran for renewable-powered seawater desalination and hydrogen production systems.Design/methodology/approachTo accomplish the aforementioned purpose, five areas most prone to the problems in Iran, namely, Mahshahr, Jask and Chabahar ports and Kish and Hormoz islands were scrutinized. To ascertain the amount of wind and solar energy available in the areas, Weibull distribution function, Angstrom–Prescott equation and HOMER software were used.FindingsThe findings indicated that wind energy density in Kish was 2,014.86 (kWh/m2.yr) and solar energy density in Jask equaled to 2,255.7 (kWh/m2.yr) which possessed the best conditions among the areas under study. Moreover, three commercial wind turbines and three photovoltaic systems were examined for supplying energy needed by the water desalination and hydrogen production systems. The results showed that application of wind turbines with rated power of 660, 750 and 900 kWh in Kish could result in desalting 934,145, 1,263,339 and 2,000,450 (m3/yr) of seawater or producing 14,719, 20,896 and 31,521 (kg/yr) of hydrogen, respectively. Additionally, use of photovoltaic systems with efficiency of %14.4, %17.01 and %21.16 in Jask could desalinate 287, 444 and 464 (m3/yr) of seawater or generate 4.5, 7 and 7.3 (kg/yr) of hydrogen, respectively.Originality/valueCompared to the huge extent of water shortage and environmental pollution, there has not been conducted enough studies to obtain broader view regarding use of renewable energies to solve these issues in Iran. Therefore, this study tries to close this gap and to give other developing nations the idea of water desalination and hydrogen production via renewable energies.

Simultaneous Multi-area Economic-Environmental Load Dispatch Modeling in Presence of Wind Turbines by MOPSO

Multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) algorithm was proposed in this paper to solve the load dispatch problem among thermal and wind turbines considering the environmental factors in multi-area power systems. The unpredictable nature of wind generations has resulted in the higher complexity of the economic load dispatch (ELD) problem. As the wind farm’s generation is very difficult to predict, the extra cost during the evaluation of the ELD are taken into account as well. In the developed method, the storage and additional cost are defined in the objective function of the ELD problem, using the mean value of wind energy density. The operational constraints among multi-areas, including the transmission lines capacity limit and generation-demand balance constraints as well as the constraints of generation limit of generators are considered in the economic-environmental load dispatch (EELD) problem. The efficiency of the proposed method was evaluated based on the simulation results on IEEE 118 bus test system, considering twelve thermal power plants, two wind farms and three areas.

The influence of future climate change on wind energy potential in the Republic of Serbia

In this paper, we analyzed the influence of future climate change on wind energy potential in the Republic of Serbia. We used climate projections from two regional climate models: the coupled regional climate model Eta Belgrade University-Princeton Ocean Model (EBU-POM) and the Nonhydrostatic Multiscale Model on the B grid (NMMB). First, the daily wind speed at 10 m above ground that was simulated with both models was verified against observed data at 13 meteorological stations in the reference period, 1971–2000. Then, the wind speed at 10 m above ground was bias corrected and extrapolated to 70 m above ground, and the wind energy density was calculated at the same height. Next, the wind speed and wind density energy in a future period, 2071–2100, were calculated and compared with the reference period. Based on the analyzed results, the annual wind speed from the EBU-POM model underestimates the observed values at all stations, while the annual wind speed from NMMB model overestimates the observed values at all stations. In comparison with the reference period, the annual wind speed in the future will decrease in Serbia. These changes are small but statistically significant. On the other hand, analyses for different seasons revealed that seasonal changes in wind speed will be in the range of ± 5% relative to the reference period.

Feasibility study of distributed wind energy generation in Jumla Nepal

Renewable energy production needs serious attention in highly traditional, inefficient, and energy-dependent countries like Nepal. Moreover, the option of an effective renewable energy technology that is economically feasible and environmentally acceptable is a topic of interest due to the availability of various types of renewable energy sources in Nepal. This study analyzes the suitability of wind energy production in Tila village of Jumla district in the western part of Nepal. Five-year (2015-2019) wind speed data were examined to obtain wind power density and energy density. Two-parameter Weibull probability density function was used to evaluate these two quantities. The annual Weibull parameters k and c of 1.73 and 4.21 m/s were obtained to calculate 43.79 W/m 2 power density and 378.37 kWhr/m 2 energy density. We provide the economic evaluation of a 100 kW distributed wind energy system, and the technical and economic aspects of the proposed system are compared with the corresponding characteristics of the existing renewable energy systems, i.e., micro hydropower and solar power. The study shows that when there is not enough sunlight for the solar PV system and not enough water flow coupled with maintenance problems in the micro hydropower system, the distributed wind energy system may function as a substitute system.

Comparative study on wind energy potential for Artvin

This paper presents a comparative study on wind energy potential for Artvin, which has a very rugged terrain and is in the east of Turkey and the Black Sea. Wind energy potential is computed with Numerical methods such as Weibull, Rayleigh, Gamma, and Lognormal distributions by using hourly wind speed data. Monthly wind energy density is determined between June 2017 and September 2018. The current map data of the General Directorate of Renewable Energy and the solar radiation amounts, and wind speed potentials obtained from Artvin Meteorology Directorate of the province are used. As a result of the calculations, the wind power obtained from the Weibull, Rayleigh, Gamma and Lognormal distributions is compared. It is shown that the weibull distribution produces more stable results.

Climate change impact on Northwestern African offshore wind energy resources

Offshore wind is one of the most important sources of renewable energy. Therefore, it is crucial to assess how this resource will evolve over the 21st century in the context of a changing climate. The North African Coastal Low-Level Jet (CLLJ) region, which encompasses offshore areas from Northwest Morocco to Senegal, has an enormous wind-harvesting potential, as it provides a strong, persistent alongshore flow. In the current study, the present climate wind energy potential is featured for two heights (100 and 250 m). More importantly, the climate change impact on the wind energy density in the region is also depicted. For this purpose, the newest and highest-resolution regional climate simulations available are used, which include two ROM simulations (uncoupled and coupled) at 25 km resolution and 19 CORDEX-Africa runs at 50 km resolution. Historical and future (under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios) simulations are used for the periods 1976–2005 and 2070–2099, respectively. Overall, the results show that the annual wind energy density is projected to increase slightly in the northern offshore areas (<+10%) and decrease in the southern ones (>−10%). In close connection to the projected changes for the seasonal changes of the CLLJ system, in the further north regions (downwind Cap Ghir), the spring season shows the largest increases of wind energy, up to +20%, while in the offshore western Sahara, an increase of wind energy is projected in all seasons. A decrease of wind energy is expected for the southern areas.

10-Year Wind and Wave Energy Assessment in the North Indian Ocean

With increasing energy shortages and global warming, clean and renewable energy sources, such as wind and wave energy, have gained widespread attention. In this study, the third-generation wave model WAVEWATCH-III (WW3) is used to simulate wave height in the North Indian Ocean (NIO), from 2008 to 2017, using the wind data from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts Renalysis datasets. The simulated results show good correlation with data obtained from altimetry. Analysis of wind and wave energy resources in the NIO is carried out considering energy density, the exploitable energy, the energy density stability, and monthly and seasonal variability indices. The results show that most areas of the NIO have abundant wind energy and at the Somali Waters are rich in wave energy resources, with wind energy densities above 200 W/m2 and wave energy densities above 15 KW/m. The most energy-rich areas are the Somali Waters, the Arabian Sea, and the southern part of the NIO (wind energy density 350–650 W/m2, wave energy density 9–24 KW/m), followed by the Laccadive sea (wind energy density 150–350 W/m2, wave energy density 6–9 KW/m), while the central part of the NIO is relatively poor (wind energy density less than 150 W/m2, wave energy density below 6 KW/m).

Assessment of wind energy potential in the southeastern province of Iran

ABSTRACTIn recent years, electricity generation by employing wind turbines has been increased significantly due to technology advancement and environmental concern. In the present study, meteorological data have been employed to compute the Weibull distribution function as well as wind power and energy density. The wind data measured at 10-min intervals at three heights of 10, 30, and 40 m above the ground. Monthly, seasonal, and annual wind speed variations are analyzed, and the performance of the selected wind turbines is evaluated. The results show that the highest wind power potential occurs in July at Lotak and in August at Shandol. The estimated annual power and energy densities demonstrated that both investigated sites are suitable for large-scale power generation. Finally, the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) is employed to evaluate the economic feasibility of electricity generation from wind power energy. It was demonstrated that the minimum cost of energy achieved by Dongfang DF100-2500 model with LCOE of 0.0830 and 0.0786 USD/kWh in Lotak and Shandol, respectively.

Assessment of Wind Power Potential and Economic Analysis at Hyderabad in Pakistan: Powering to Local Communities Using Wind Power

Wind power is the fastest growing and environmentally sustainable source of energy among all available renewable energy resources. The primary objective of this paper is to analyze the wind characteristics and power potential at Hyderabad, Southeastern province in Pakistan. Two years of wind speed data measured at 10 m above ground level (AGL) have been considered in this study. The annually, monthly, and seasonal variations in wind speed were analyzed, and minimum, maximum, and average values of recorded wind speeds are presented in this paper. Weibull and Rayleigh distribution functions have been applied to analyze the wind characteristics and evaluate the wind power potential of the proposed site. The Weibull shape k and scale c parameters have been estimated using the Weibull function. The higher values of k showed that the wind speed is steady at the site. The average wind speed was found above 6 m/s throughout the year. The most probable wind speed (Vmp) and maximum carrying energy (VmaxE) wind speed were also calculated using Weibull parameters. Root mean square error (RMSE), the coefficient of determination (R2), and mean bias error (MBE) were computed to ensure the good fit of Weibull distribution function. The annual average wind power and energy densities were estimated at more than 255 W/m2 and 2245 kWh/m2, respectively. The power density calculated by Weibull and Rayleigh functions was compared with that calculated by using measured wind data. The energy output and capacity factor of different commercially available wind turbines (WTs), i.e., power ratings from 0.33 to 2.75 MW, have been calculated. The cost of energy was estimated and ranged from $19.27 to $32.80 per MWh. Wind power potential and economic analysis of the collected data reveals that the site is suitable for developing wind power generation projects to power the local communities.