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A global assessment of extreme wind speeds for wind energy applications

Author

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  • Sara C. Pryor

    (Cornell University)

  • Rebecca J. Barthelmie

    (Cornell University)

Abstract

Cost-effective expansion of the wind energy industry benefits from robust estimates of wind resource and operating conditions. Extreme design loads contribute to wind turbine selection and cost, and are determined in part by the fifty year return period sustained wind speed (U50). Here we derive a global, homogenized and geospatially explicit digital atlas of U50 and associated confidence intervals based on ERA5 reanalysis output at wind turbine hub heights. U50 estimates derived using ERA5 output and four different methods are shown to lie within an average of 9–13% of those from point measurements. The reference wind speed (Uref) derived using five times the mean wind speed as specified in the wind turbine design standards is generally a conservative estimate of U50. Particularly after application of additional safety factors, this may result in over-engineering of wind turbines and excess capital expenditures.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara C. Pryor & Rebecca J. Barthelmie, 2021. "A global assessment of extreme wind speeds for wind energy applications," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 6(3), pages 268-276, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natene:v:6:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1038_s41560-020-00773-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41560-020-00773-7
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Saravanan Bhaskaran & Amrit Shankar Verma & Andrew J. Goupee & Subhamoy Bhattacharya & Amir R. Nejad & Wei Shi, 2023. "Comparison of Extreme Wind and Waves Using Different Statistical Methods in 40 Offshore Wind Energy Lease Areas Worldwide," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-26, October.
    2. Gaige Hunter Kerr & Michelle Meyer & Daniel L. Goldberg & Joshua Miller & Susan C. Anenberg, 2024. "Air pollution impacts from warehousing in the United States uncovered with satellite data," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Wang, Hao & Wang, Tongguang & Ke, Shitang & Hu, Liang & Xie, Jiaojie & Cai, Xin & Cao, Jiufa & Ren, Yuxin, 2023. "Assessing code-based design wind loads for offshore wind turbines in China against typhoons," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 669-682.
    4. Sara C. Pryor & Rebecca J. Barthelmie & Jeremy Cadence & Ebba Dellwik & Charlotte B. Hasager & Stephan T. Kral & Joachim Reuder & Marianne Rodgers & Marijn Veraart, 2022. "Atmospheric Drivers of Wind Turbine Blade Leading Edge Erosion: Review and Recommendations for Future Research," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-41, November.
    5. Russell McKenna & Stefan Pfenninger & Heidi Heinrichs & Johannes Schmidt & Iain Staffell & Katharina Gruber & Andrea N. Hahmann & Malte Jansen & Michael Klingler & Natascha Landwehr & Xiaoli Guo Lars', 2021. "Reviewing methods and assumptions for high-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy potential assessments," Papers 2103.09781, arXiv.org.
    6. Pryor, Sara C. & Barthelmie, Rebecca J., 2024. "Wind shadows impact planning of large offshore wind farms," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 359(C).
    7. Jung, Christopher & Schindler, Dirk, 2022. "A review of recent studies on wind resource projections under climate change," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    8. McKenna, Russell & Pfenninger, Stefan & Heinrichs, Heidi & Schmidt, Johannes & Staffell, Iain & Bauer, Christian & Gruber, Katharina & Hahmann, Andrea N. & Jansen, Malte & Klingler, Michael & Landwehr, 2022. "High-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy assessments: A review of potential definitions, methodologies and future research needs," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 659-684.
    9. Sun, Liangliang & Peng, Jiayu & Dinçer, Hasan & Yüksel, Serhat, 2022. "Coalition-oriented strategic selection of renewable energy system alternatives using q-ROF DEMATEL with golden cut," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(C).
    10. Martinez, A. & Iglesias, G., 2024. "Global wind energy resources decline under climate change," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    11. Laibao Liu & Gang He & Mengxi Wu & Gang Liu & Haoran Zhang & Ying Chen & Jiashu Shen & Shuangcheng Li, 2023. "Climate change impacts on planned supply–demand match in global wind and solar energy systems," Nature Energy, Nature, vol. 8(8), pages 870-880, August.
    12. Rebecca J. Barthelmie & Kaitlyn E. Dantuono & Emma J. Renner & Frederick L. Letson & Sara C. Pryor, 2021. "Extreme Wind and Waves in U.S. East Coast Offshore Wind Energy Lease Areas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-25, February.
    13. Yang, Xinrong & Jiang, Xin & Liang, Shijing & Qin, Yingzuo & Ye, Fan & Ye, Bin & Xu, Jiayu & He, Xinyue & Wu, Jie & Dong, Tianyun & Cai, Xitian & Xu, Rongrong & Zeng, Zhenzhong, 2024. "Spatiotemporal variation of power law exponent on the use of wind energy," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 356(C).
    14. Zhili Wang & Yadong Lei & Huizheng Che & Bo Wu & Xiaoye Zhang, 2024. "Aerosol forcing regulating recent decadal change of summer water vapor budget over the Tibetan Plateau," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    15. Abdelaziz, Sara & Sparrow, Sarah N. & Hua, Weiqi & Wallom, David C.H., 2024. "Assessing long-term future climate change impacts on extreme low wind events for offshore wind turbines in the UK exclusive economic zone," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 354(PB).

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