Validation of regional wind resource predictions in the Northern Great Plains
The development and validation of computerized wind mapping tools for regional assessment purposes is an important step in accelerating wind energy deployment. This paper summarizes the results of a validation study of the automated wind resource mapping technique developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). This technique uses Geographic Information System (GIS) software and produces high horizontal resolution (1 km) wind resource maps. The automated wind maps have been used to help plan wind measurement programs and to define potential areas for wind energy projects in countries such as Mexico, Chile, Indonesia, and China. The authors chose a US location for this project to test the accuracy of the automated mapping technique in a region where the wind resource distribution was already fairly well known. The Buffalo Ridge region of the Northern Great Plains served as the subject area. The study area covered northwestern Iowa, southwestern Minnesota, and adjacent parts of South Dakota and Nebraska. This area had several advantages for use in a validation study. First, this area has active wind energy development and the results would be of interest to the wind energy community. Second, a validation data set would be fairly easy to derive because recent wind measurements were taken in that region specifically for wind energy purposes. These data were publicly available and easily obtained. Finally, the relatively simple terrain in that region enabled this study to be completed in a timely manner.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC36-83CH10093
- OSTI ID:
- 656868
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/CP--500-25069; CONF-980437--; ON: DE98007295
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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