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Wind Energy Potential in OCEANIA

Map of mean 80-m wind speeds for year 2000

Wind speeds are calculated at 80 m, the hub height of modern, 77-m diameter, 1500 kW turbines. Since relatively few observations are available at 80 m, the Least Square extrapolation technique is utilized and revised here to obtain estimates of wind speeds at 80 m given observed wind speeds at 10 m (widely available) and a network of sounding stations.

Tower data from the Kennedy Space Center (Florida) were used to validate the results. Globally, ~13% of all reporting stations experience annual mean wind speeds ≥ 6.9 m/s at 80 m (i.e., wind power class 3 or greater) and can therefore be considered suitable for low-cost wind power generation. This estimate is believed to be conservative.

Areas with great potential are found on the island of Tasmania in Australia.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/efmh/winds/global_winds.html

Countries

Australia | Fiji | FS of Micronesia | Kiribati | Marshall Islands | Nauru | New Zealand | Palau | Samoa | Solomon Islands | Tonga | Tuvalu | Vanuatu

Related GENI Resources

Definition Wind Energy
Current Articles on Renewable Energy Resources and Transmission
National Energy Grid Maps

Links

AusWEA (Australian Wind Energy Association)
New Zealand Wind Energy Association

Australian Greenhouse Office - Renewable Energy
REGA (Renewable Energy Generators of Australia)
BCSE (Australian Business Council for Sustainable Energy)
EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, NZ) - Renewable Energy
PPA (Pacific Power Association)
PIREP (Pacific Islands Renewable Energy Programme)