A GIS based assessment of potential for windfarms in India

The Wind Energy Potential for India has been assessed, assuming as if the whole of the country (apart from the urban and the Himalayan areas) is covered with windfarms, by an innovative approach using GIS platform, wind speed measurements under government's program and the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis data.(1) The methodology involves setting up a grid of 1 sqkm resolution over areas other than urban settlements and Himalayan regions, computation of wind speeds at boundary layer level through vertical extrapolation of known or measured mean annual wind speed and interpolation of the extrapolated wind speeds to arrive at a mean annual wind field at boundary layer level and then computation of wind speed at the hub-height of the wind turbine. Power output from a standard wind turbine is computed and only areas showing a Plant Load Factor (PLF) higher than 15% are considered in the potential assessment. The results of this exercise indicate the potential for windfarms in India to be significantly higher than what was assumed earlier. The analysis and its revalidation using data measured at varying heights in different parts of the country establishe this approach as useful and perhaps a powerful tool to undertake wind resource potential assessments. This analysis and the results are discussed in the backdrop of the general energy scenario in India and earlier assessments of wind potential in the country. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.