Wind resource prospecting: Predicting winds aloft using surface winds and the position of the sun

Abstract

The sun’s position in the sky appears to strongly influence the vertical wind gradient within the atmospheric boundary layer. This study uses a quantitative research design that combines the position of the sun along with surface wind speeds to estimate the wind gradient. The model applies to uncluttered simple terrain and requires only 10 m wind speed data to extrapolate wind speeds and wind turbine energy production to heights of 60 m or more. The average daytime and nighttime model wind speed errors are 1.7% and 2.4%, respectively. The average daytime and nighttime model turbine energy production errors are 3.8% and 6.1%, respectively. The model offers a practical and low-cost alternative to tall tower systems to assess wind resources, especially for remote sites.