A Computational Methodology for Assessing Wind Potential

Abstract

This paper introduces an innovative and eco-friendly computational methodology to assess the wind potential of a location with the aid of high-resolution simulations with a mesoscale numerical weather prediction model (WRF), coupled with the statistical “10% sampling condition”. The proposed methodology is tested for a location with complex terrain on the Greek island of Crete, where moderate to strong winds prevail for most of the year. The results are promising, indicating that this method has great potential for studying and assessing areas of interest. Adverse effects and challenges associated with wind energy production may be mitigated with methods such as the proposed one. Mitigating such effects should constitute the main focus and priority in research concerning wind energy production.

Keywords

• wind energy
• meteorology
• WRF model
• statistical sampling
• environmental impacts