Wind Resource Base
DENNIS ELLIOTT, MARC SCHWARTZ, and
GEORGE SCOTT
U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Golden, Colorado, United States
1. Introduction
2. Basics of Wind Resource
3. Baseline Wind Resource Studies
4. Data Sets and Analysis Methods
5. Resource Assessment Methods
6. Status of Wind Resource Projects
Glossary
exclusion zone An area that cannot be used for wind
power development because of environmental, legal,
topographic, or other reasons.
frequency distribution of wind speed The percentage of
time that the wind is blowing at each speed (14% at
2–3 m/s, 8% at 3–4 m/s, etc.).
geographic information system (GIS) The computer hard-
ware, software, and technical expertise that inputs,
stores, maintains, manipulates, analyzes, and outputs
geographically referenced data. A GIS combines the
power of spatial database management with high-
resolution graphic display to effectively present infor-
mation.
grid-connected A project that is connected to a utility
distribution system.
power class A single number representing a range of wind
power densities (WPD). A typical power classification
scheme divides the WPD range from 0 to 4800 W/m2
into seven power classes.
Weibull distribution A mathematical function that is often
a good approximation to the frequency distribution of
wind speeds at a site.
wind electric potential The total number of megawatts of
wind energy generating capacity that could be installed
in a given area.
wind power density The average wind power over one
square meter expressed in Watts per square meter (W/m2)
in a vertical plane perpendicular to the wind direction.
wind resource A measure of how much wind energy is
available at a given height at a given point or over a
given area. It can be expressed in values of Watts per
Encyclopedia of Energy, Volume 6. Published by Elsevier Inc.
square meter, power class bins, or estimated yearly
energy production.
wind resource base The collection of all data about the
wind resource in a given area. The data set may include
average speeds and power densities, measures of
variability, and energy production statistics.
wind shear A measure of the change in wind speed or
power with height above the ground.
A major barrier to the deployment of wind energy in
many regions of the world is the lack of reliable,
detailed wind resource data. Wind resource assess-
ments are crucial in determining the feasibility of
wind energy projects and are essential for govern-
ment and industry to identify areas of potential wind
energy development. Accurate assessments can also
aid the development of policies and regulations that
can enhance wind energy deployment. This article
summarizes the techniques used to conduct wind
resource base assessments and the status of past,
present, and future assessment activities.
1. INTRODUCTION
Wind is a renewable energy resource that can
generate significant amounts of electricity for both
grid-connected and standalone applications. Major
strides in wind technology development have in-
creased efficiencies and reduced wind energy costs so
that they are competitive with other generation
technologies in regions with good-to-excellent wind
resources. However, a major barrier to the deploy-
ment of wind energy in many regions of the world is
the lack of reliable, detailed wind resource data.
Wind resource assessments are crucial in determining
the feasibility of wind energy projects and avail-
ability of these data is essential for government and
industry to identify areas of potential wind energy
development. Accurate assessments can also aid the
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