A Repowering Proposal for a Wind Energy Plant Located in South Euboea, Greece
Extreme winds derived from simulations using mesoscale models are underestimated due to the effective spatial and temporal resolutions. This is reflected in the spectral domain as an energy deficit in the mesoscale range. This phenomenon has been investigated from the Wind Energy Division departmnent at the National Laboratory of Denmark. Their investigation reveals that the energy deficit, implies smaller spectral moments and thus, an underestimation in the extreme wind speed estimation. By taking into account the difference between the modeled and measured wind spectra in the high frequency range, two approaches for correcting the smoothing effect have been presented in their study report named Recipes for correcting the impact of effective mesoscale resolution on the estimation of extreme winds . In this article, we prsent a comparative evaluation and improvement proposals on the Mesoscale Models extreme wind speed prognosis. However, further investigation is suggested for a much more holistic approach.
Abstract
Greece is pursuing ambitious goals and plans to updating and expanding wind energy installations. Renewable energy infrastructures are likely to significantly contribute to the country’s economic growth. However, there seems to be a lack of empirical knowledge about the replacement of the first generation machines with higher capacity and more efficient wind turbines. Economic, social, technical and energy policy barriers, influence the replacement of aging wind projects. In the present study, the operational and development benefits and risks, associated with the repowering of a 24 MW wind farm located in South Euboea, Greece are investigated. Parameters as the social acceptability, technical feasibility, economic viability and environmental compatibility are identified in order to establish and promote the repowering proposal under critical assessment criteria and scenarios for a valuable investment on wind energy.
