A diagnostic model for estimating winds at potential sites for wind turbines.

Abstract

Terrain features and variations in the depth of the atmospheric boundary layer produce local variations in wind, and these variations are not depicted well by standard weather reports. We have developed a diagnostic model that computes local winds for use in estimating the wind energy available at any potential site for a wind turbine. The method uses the terrain heights of an area surrounding the site and a series of wind and pressure reports from the nearest four or five National Weather Service stations.-from Authors