Brief communication "Spatial and temporal variation of wind power at hub height over Europe"

Wind power over Europe computed from two years of the new 100 m wind product from ECMWF at 16 km horizontal resolution is 20% of maximum capacity of an exemplary wind turbine power curve. This is five percent of maximum capacity less than extrapolated from 10 m winds using model roughness in the log...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: S. Gisinger, G. J. Mayr, J. W. Messner, R. Stauffer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2013-05-01
Series:Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics
Online Access:http://www.nonlin-processes-geophys.net/20/305/2013/npg-20-305-2013.pdf
Description
Summary:Wind power over Europe computed from two years of the new 100 m wind product from ECMWF at 16 km horizontal resolution is 20% of maximum capacity of an exemplary wind turbine power curve. This is five percent of maximum capacity less than extrapolated from 10 m winds using model roughness in the logarithmic law, but eight percent more than multiplying 10 m winds by a constant factor of 1.28 as in a previous study. The result from the new data set happens to be very close to the actual capacity factor of 21% for European wind turbines (Boccard, 2009). The capacity factor in high power regions between 50 and 58° N and most of northernmost Africa is almost 30%. The aggregation of wind power over Europe smooths onshore day-to-day fluctuations to at most 7 percentage points during 80% of the year.
ISSN:1023-5809
1607-7946