Wind Energy Potential for Small-scale WEC Systems in Port Elizabeth

Abstract

South Africa is the highest emitter of greenhouse gases in the continent, and 18th in the world. Electricity generation in South Africa is heavily dependent on fossil fuels for its energy needs. Hence, it is a necessity to shift to renewable energy sources for electricity production in order to mitigate carbon emissions. This paper discusses the potential for electricity generation through small-scale wind energy conversion (WEC) systems in Port Elizabeth that is considered to be South Africa's windiest city. A wind energy study was conducted through analyses of the local weather data. The study shows that Port Elizabeth has an annual wind power density of 138 W/m2. The area studied has great wind power potential, especially for small-scale wind energy production. The Weibull method has been applied to predict wind power potential in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Furthermore, the Weibull method was applied to model the probability function of the wind speed due to its user friendliness and flexibility.