Wind resource assessment on complex terrain based on observations of a single anemometer

A method for numerical wind energy assessment of wind farm based on observations of a single anemometer is presented. Utilizing computational fluid dynamics, the present method establishes a rough relation between the boundary wind velocity and the wind velocity at the anemometer, guided by which a feedback process is conducted to search for the boundary velocity matching the measurement of the anemometer. The present method is able to provide reliable wind resources distribution for wind farm on complex terrain without applying any mesoscale models. The present method is validated through measurements of anemometers installed within a certain wind farm in China. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.