Wind energy feasibility study for city of Shahrbabak in Iran

Climate change, global warming, and the recent worldwide economic crisis have emphasized the need for low carbon emissions while also ensuring economic feasibility. In this paper, the status and wind power potential of the city of Shahrbabak in Kerman province in Iran was investigated. The technical and economical feasibility of wind turbine installation is presented. The potential of wind power generation was statistically analyzed. The mean wind speed data of three-hour interval long term period from 1997 to 2005 was adopted and analyzed in order to determine the potential of wind power generation. The numerical values of the dimensionless Weibull shape parameter (k) and Weibull scale parameter (c) were determined. Annual values of k ranged from 1.725 to 1.930 with a mean value of 1.504, while annual values of c were in the range of 4.848-6.095 with a mean value of 5.314 (m/s). With the average wind power density of 100 W/m(2), it is found that the city is not an appropriate place for construction of large-scale wind power plants, but is suitable for employment of off-grid electrical and mechanical wind driven systems. An economic evaluation was done in order to show feasibility of installing small wind turbines. It was concluded that it costs 18 cents for 1 kWh which is 5 cents more than the market price. Each turbine of 10 kW can supply power for icebox, washer, water pump, TV, lighting, electrical fan, charger, and air conditioning units for small houses. In order to utilize wind energy in the region, it is recommended to install small size wind turbines for electricity supply of public and public buildings and private houses. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.