A New Method for Estimating Off-Shore Wind Potentials

Abstract

Exploitation of wind energy is currently near economic viability at many sites, including coast-near locations on- or off-shore. Because meteorological measuring stations are largely placed on land, the estimation of potential production from off-shore sites is more difficult and has been unreliable in predicting the precise advantage of the more consistent and higher wind speeds known to prevail over the sea ( Sørensen, 2004 Sørensen, B. 2004. Renewable Energy , 3rd, 946 Burlington: Elsevier Academic Press. [Google Scholar] ). A new method for off-shore wind power prediction is presented here, based on sweeping microwave radar (“scatterometer”) measurements by satellite, that provide radar wind data from reflections by the sea surface or air-borne water particles over the sea surface. The original purpose of these satellite missions was to explore sea-atmosphere interactions that are important for climate modelling ( Chelton et al., 2004 Chelton, D. , Schlax, M. , Freilich, M. and Milliff, R. 2004. Satellite measurements reveal persistent small-scale features in ocean winds. Science, 303: 978–983. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] ).