Document Type

Article

Rights

Available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike 4.0 International Licence

Disciplines

Meteorology and atmospheric sciences, Electrical and electronic engineering

Publication Details

Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics vol. 118, pp. 44-53, 2013.

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Abstract

The micro-turbine wind market in cities faces significant challenges due to the complexities associated with the urban terrain but, if a renewable solution to increasing energy demand is to be achieved, energy conversion systems where populations are concentrated, that is cities, must be considered. This research evaluates the urban wind resource by employing a physically-based empirical model to link wind observations at a conventional meteorological site to those acquired at urban sites. The approach is based on urban climate research that has examined the effects of varying surface roughness on the wind-field between and above buildings. Here, this is applied to link observations at Dublin Airport, outside the urban area, to those made at an urban and sub-urban site in Dublin where instruments were placed near roof-level and well above roof height. The log model to describe the vertical wind profile is tested against observations made over the course of a year. It is shown to have sufficient accuracy to assess the potential for micro–turbine energy generation in cities and illustrates that the urban wind resource can be evaluated from measurements made at a nearby site, adjusted for the urban site location.

DOI

10.1016/j.jweia.2013.04.002

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