A publicly-available, highly detailed map of wind energy resources around the world has been launched by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU).
The Global Wind Atlas provides wind resource data at one-kilometre resolution; offering far more detail than other maps available to the public that are 10-kilometre resolution at best. That low level of resolution has resulted in underestimation of wind resources in the past, increased risk and boosted costs for wind energy planners.
For example, information available until now indicates wind speeds over large areas; missing some of the elevated features that can boost wind resources such as hills and ridges; making the amount of wind energy that could be captured by turbines appear weaker than it actually is. The new maps factor in more of these features; providing wind speed data at three different heights.
“Wind energy potential across the globe is vast, but the upfront costs of measuring potential and determining the best locations for projects is an obstacle in many countries,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “The new Global Wind Atlas provides this needed data directly and for free, making it a ground-breaking tool to help jumpstart wind energy development worldwide.”
The Wind Atlas, funded by Denmark’s government, adds to the functionality of IRENA’s Global Atlas; which also provides tools mapping bio, hydro, geothermal, marine and solar energy resources.
The Global Wind Atlas can be accessed here.
IRENA’s membership is made up of 142 countries, including Australia plus the European Union. IRENA promotes the widespread uptake and sustainable use of all forms of renewable energy.
By the end of last year, more than 268,000 wind turbines were in operation around the world. In 2012, researchers from the University of Delaware and Stanford University calculated the saturation wind power potential globally is greater than 250 terawatts; far more than the world’s energy demands.
Australia has a significant wind industry and the 11th highest per-capita installed wind power capacity globally. Much of Australia’s generation is located in South Australia and Tasmania, which have among the highest per-capita generation capacity levels in the world.
