The Toolkit outlines best practice techniques for assessing wind resource potentials as a foundation for a wind resource assessment. The wind resource assessment entails industry-accepted guidelines for planning and conducting a wind resource measurement program to support a wind energy feasibility initiative. These guidelines do not embody every single potential technique of conducting a quality wind measurement program, but they address the most essential elements based on field-proven experience.
The scope of the Toolkit covers:
- Wind resource assessment 101
- Sitting of monitoring systems
- Measurement parameters and monitoring instruments
- Installation of monitoring stations
- Site operation and maintenance
- Data collection and management
- Data validation
- Data processing
- Comparison of observed wind data with historical norm
- Wind flow modelling
The first wind turbines for electricity generation were developed at the beginning of the 20th century. Thus, wind technology is one of the most mature and proven technologies on the market. In 2015, the wind energy industry installed 12.8 GW in the EU – more than gas and coal combined. Globally, the current wind power installation capacity has reached 435GW with a significant growth rate of 16.4% in 2014 and 17.2% in 2015.
Wind turbines offer the prospects of cost efficient generation of electricity and fast return on investment. The economic feasibility of wind turbines depends primarily on the wind speed. Usually, the greater the long term annual average wind speed, the more electricity will be generated and the faster the investment will pay back. However, it is important to access the wind power potential (WPP) at any prospective location to decide the capacity of wind resource for electricity generation within available time limits of wind duration. Hence, it is relevant to observe the wind characteristics and type of wind turbine technology suitable for any given promising location. These factors are very much helpful for wind power developers and investors to make a decision with respect to the economic constraints.
Details of the Resource Assessment Toolkit for Wind Energy may be downloaded here: