Assessment of Wind Power Potential and Economic Analysis at Hyderabad in Pakistan: Powering to Local Communities Using Wind Power

Wind power is the fastest growing and environmentally sustainable source of energy among all available renewable energy resources. The primary objective of this paper is to analyze the wind characteristics and power potential at Hyderabad, Southeastern province in Pakistan. Two years of wind speed data measured at 10 m above ground level (AGL) have been considered in this study. The annually, monthly, and seasonal variations in wind speed were analyzed, and minimum, maximum, and average values of recorded wind speeds are presented in this paper. Weibull and Rayleigh distribution functions have been applied to analyze the wind characteristics and evaluate the wind power potential of the proposed site. The Weibull shape k and scale c parameters have been estimated using the Weibull function. The higher values of k showed that the wind speed is steady at the site. The average wind speed was found above 6 m/s throughout the year. The most probable wind speed (V-mp) and maximum carrying energy (V-maxE) wind speed were also calculated using Weibull parameters. Root mean square error (RMSE), the coefficient of determination (R-2), and mean bias error (MBE) were computed to ensure the good fit of Weibull distribution function. The annual average wind power and energy densities were estimated at more than 255 W/m(2) and 2245 kWh/m(2), respectively. The power density calculated by Weibull and Rayleigh functions was compared with that calculated by using measured wind data. The energy output and capacity factor of different commercially available wind turbines (WTs), i.e., power ratings from 0.33 to 2.75 MW, have been calculated. The cost of energy was estimated and ranged from $19.27 to $32.80 per MWh. Wind power potential and economic analysis of the collected data reveals that the site is suitable for developing wind power generation projects to power the local communities.