wind speed and wind resource maps

Favorable wind resources are crucial when assessing the installation of a wind turbine. It’s not by chance that most wind turbines installed in USA are located in the Midwest and in the Northeast. These are the states with the more favorable wind conditions.

Cost Evaluation

The cost-evaluation of a wind system depends deeply on the average wind speed. A minimum 11-mph to 13-mph average wind speed is indispensable.

Note:
1mph = 1 mile per hour = 0,44704 meters/second
1 mph is approx. 0,888976 knots, or 1.4667 feet per second, or 1,609344 km per hour.

Wind speed importance

Wind speed has a huge impact on the turbine's productivity: the higher the average wind speed the better.

Small differences in the wind speed may have important impacts: the relation between the wind speed and the electricity generated is more than directly proportional (the relation is equal to the cube of the wind speed). A site with 16 miles per hour average winds may generate 50% more electricity than a site with 14 miles (all other things being equal).

It’s really a big impact, with an huge effect on any wind project and on its competitiveness relatively to other energy sources.

Wind measurements

Usually, home wind systems do not require taking personal wind measurements. Official wind maps are enough to predict the performance of most projects.

But there are, of course, situations that demands specific wind data, namely in cases involving microclimates or hilly and mountainous sites in sheltered areas.

Wind resource data: USA

The U.S. Department of Energy wind maps involve an impressive detailed set of data for each state, enough to predict the productivity of most projects. But it's necessary some experience to interpret that technical data.

See: U.S. Department of Energy wind data maps and resources and National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Canadian Wind Energy Maps and data

The Canadian Wind Energy Atlas – based on the EOLE Project from the Environment Canada (RPN) – is an excellent source for wind resources data in Canada.

See: Canadian Wind Energy Atlas

European Wind Energy Maps and data

Most European states have Meteorological Institutes that can provide national data involving wind resources.

For a good global wind resource set of data, see: European Wind Resources Map

Australian Wind Energy Maps and data

The governmental Australian Bureau of Meteorology provides extensive wind resource data and maps. See: Australian Bureau of Meteorology wind data.