Online Wind-Atlas Databases and GIS Tool Integration for Wind Resource Assessment: A Spanish Case Study

Abstract

Renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly integrated into the electricity-generation sector, being eco-friendly solutions, decreasing global warming, and improving the energy transition process. Among the different renewables, wind energy is considered a mature, clean, renewable, and inexhaustible technology as well, becoming one of the main resources in a sustainable framework. Aiming to evaluate the wind resource, scientific contributions have mostly presented a common basis: historical data campaigns of the wind resource mainly considering wind speed—including the module, direction, standard deviation, etc. However, online wind-atlas databases are becoming tools widely used for both wind-resource assessment and optimal wind-power locations. Under this framework, this study analyzed and compared such online wind data sources and their integration with GIS tools for optimal wind-resource-assessment purposes. The proposed methodology identified the corresponding wind-atlas databases directly on their websites and indirectly through the wind data used in relevant contributions about the optimal location of wind sites. Our contribution to the scientific community is thus the review and comparison of these atlas databases for reducing the barrier to access wind data—including GIS-tool-integration analysis. The limitations raised by civil societies, particularly regarding environmental and bird concerns, were not included in this study. Nevertheless, the authors are aware of these concerns and limitations. A Spanish case study was also included in this work, comparing both estimated and collected wind-atlas databases in terms of wind-resource assessment.

Construction Method and Practical Application of Oil and Gas Field Surface Engineering Case Database Based on Knowledge Graph

“…Cai S et al [1] established a spatial information database and management platform based on spatial information of oil and gas resources and related information analysis technology, effectively supporting the entire decision-making process of oil and gas resource evaluation, management, exploration, and exploitation. In the related field of wind energy, Sánchez-del Rey A et al [2] established a database for wind resource assessment by integrating data related to wind resources with GIS tools. In research focused on carbon emission reduction, Zhu W et al [3] developed a new carbon emission calculation model for oil and gas resources utilizing GIS 10.8 software and IPCC algorithms to effectively manage the data generated in the exploration and natural processes of oil and natural gas.…”