Evaluation of on-shore wind techno-economical potential in regions and islands

Abstract

Most of the islands and small regions worldwide have no conventional energy sources, but plenty renewable energy resources, mainly wind and solar. Therefore, it is crucial to determine their wind potential as a first step of the energy planning. For this purpose, a methodology based on GIS (Geographical Information Systems) and adapted to the island/regional requirements has been developed to determine this potential. This methodology takes into account territorial constraints, as natural protected area, urban areas or even an isolated house, and techno-economical constraints as minimum wind speed or maximum slope. This methodology was specifically developed to be applied in islands and small regions worldwide. The evaluation of wind potential using GIS allows the quantification of the potential wind energy production and, at the same time, it allows to locate where this production takes place, which is vital to determine the resource cost. Within this study, apart from the methodology itself, there are also other novelties as the hub height sensitivity analysis and the economical assessment using cost-resource curves. The methodology has been applied to a practical case, the Canary Islands, and the results provide relevant data that can also be useful for similar regions.