Recognizing the Sites with Maximum Power Generation According to Typical Wind Patterns of New Zealand

Abstract

This paper introduces the typical wind patterns in New Zealand recording by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and evaluates the optimized sites among them with higher amount of power generation. A comprehensive simulation model has been set up, using several available commercial software packages to test the performance, capacity and efficiency of the results. Available wind records have been used from NASA to conduct simulation model runs of them. Global Wind Atlas is used for showing wind patterns and WRPLOT software plots wind class of sites. Homer Pro software used to propose a microgrid design for each site and calculate power. Generation of electricity from wind turbines depends on the wind speeds and cut-in speed of the wind turbines. In other words, to reach maximum efficiency from wind power, the first step is to analyse the wind speeds of the site where turbine will be located and then estimate the generated power from that turbine. To do it, it is necessary to find the range of wind speeds and the wind directions with demonstrating wind rose and the percentage of year a turbine is working in more than cut-in speed. Based on current wind patterns, Dunedin and Bluff sites found the areas with maximum power generation.