The Climate Change Impact on Russia’s Wind Energy Resource: Current Areas of Research

Abstract

Exploration of the climate change impact on wind energy is a focus of scientific analysis and research in many countries around the world. Previous studies have demonstrated that over the last three decades measured wind in the boundary and surface layer of the atmosphere has changed all over the globe. However, effects of climate change on the wind energy sector of Russia are not well explored. Therefore, the Russian climate change research needs to focus on improving the analysis and prediction of wind characteristics that are most relevant to Russia’s wind energy development. This paper analyzes the effects of global climate change on the patterns of the general circulation of the atmosphere, large-scale atmospheric temperature field and dynamics, as well as wind speed in the planetary boundary layer and, in particular, in the atmospheric surface layer, with regards to Russia’s geographical location and its climatic characteristics. This paper also explores and discusses current areas of climate change research relevant for estimating the wind energy potential in Russia. Two areas of research are emphasized: study of the impact of global warming on poleward shifts of the large-scale synoptic eddies which strongly affect the weather patterns and wind field over large territories; and the study of the effects of ice melting in Arctic seas which significantly alter the properties of the underlying surface and, thus, speed and direction of wind in the surface layer.