HomeMy WebLinkAboutWind Resource Assessment page Text[This page falls under AEA Home – AEA Programs – Alternative Energy – Wind Energy-Wind Resource Assessment]
Wind Resource Assessment
Wind Data Measured in Alaska – get data files and reports of wind data measured at various locations across the state.
Alaska Wind Map – find out the power potential of your location on the wind resource map.
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Wind Data Measured in Alaska
There are two primary sources of measured wind data in Alaska:
1) Data collected through the AEA Anemometer Loan Program. These sites usually include a 100-foot NRG tower that records the wind speed and direction at various heights above ground
level. These towers are specifically sited in open, windy locations that would be ideal for wind turbine development.
2) Data collected from airport weather stations by the National Climatic Data Center. These stations record temperature, rainfall, cloud cover, and a number of other measurements in
addition to wind speed and direction. The anemometers are usually located up to 30 feet above ground level and are not necessarily sited in the best wind resource location. The station
types include AWOS, ASOS, AMOS, and SAWRS.
[Insert map indicating locations of each data type]
[Insert table listing each station name, latitude, longitude, tower type, links to data files and reports – this is an Excel spreadsheet located at H:\AEEE Shared Files\Wind\web page\Wind
Resource Assessment\Station List.xls – I’m open to ideas on how best to present this on the website]
Alaska Wind Map
A high-resolution wind resource map of Alaska has been developed in coordination with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and TrueWind Solutions. This map can be used by landowners
and communities to obtain a base level understanding of the relative quality of their local wind resource. The map can also be overlaid with GIS data for transmission lines, land use,
or other renewable resources to aid in prospecting the ideal location for a potential project.
The map integrates historical weather data at various heights above ground level, vegetation cover, terrain effects, and atmospheric simulation models. The model was then validated
with local data measured by the AEA Anemometer Loan Program. For more information on how the maps are created, see www.awstruewind.com.
[Insert image of entire state map with squares splitting the map into smaller sections. Click on a square to get blow up of that section.]