Investigating seasonal wind energy potential in Vredendal, South Africa
Global warming and the energy crisis have necessitated an urgent exploitation and utilisation of renewable energy. Wind energy has gained popularity over the years because of vast availability of its resource. A study was carried out to investigate the stochastic characteristics of the available win...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
University of Cape Town
2018-06-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Energy in Southern Africa |
| Online Access: | https://journals.assaf.org.za/jesa/article/view/2746 |
| _version_ | 1819056578042527744 |
|---|---|
| author | Thapelo Cornelius Mosetlhe Adedayo Ademola Yusuff Yskandar Hamam |
| author_facet | Thapelo Cornelius Mosetlhe Adedayo Ademola Yusuff Yskandar Hamam |
| author_sort | Thapelo Cornelius Mosetlhe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Global warming and the energy crisis have necessitated an urgent exploitation and utilisation of renewable energy. Wind energy has gained popularity over the years because of vast availability of its resource. A study was carried out to investigate the stochastic characteristics of the available wind energy at installation sites. Data for a ten-minute interval wind speed collected over a period of five years and measured at a height of 10, 40 and 62 m in Vredendal was considered. Wind speed data was arranged in seasonal format and its statistical distribution investigated based on Weibull, lognormal and gamma distributions. The Anderson-Darling test and Akaike information criterion were used to evaluate the goodness of fit. The results showed that wind power at different heights and time stamps exhibited different statistical distribution. It was found that wind turbines in Vredendal must be installed as high as possible to harness wind power effectively. During summer and spring, there was a high potential for wind power availability compared with that of winter. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:25:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-54b3542a1fbd4b6380e3eb09104efb83 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1021-447X 2413-3051 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T13:25:38Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | University of Cape Town |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Energy in Southern Africa |
| spelling | doaj.art-54b3542a1fbd4b6380e3eb09104efb832022-12-21T19:02:28ZengUniversity of Cape TownJournal of Energy in Southern Africa1021-447X2413-30512018-06-01292778310.17159/2413-3051/2018/v29i2a27462746Investigating seasonal wind energy potential in Vredendal, South AfricaThapelo Cornelius Mosetlhe0Adedayo Ademola Yusuff1Yskandar Hamam2Tshwane University of TechnologyUniversity of South AfricaTshwane University of TechnologyGlobal warming and the energy crisis have necessitated an urgent exploitation and utilisation of renewable energy. Wind energy has gained popularity over the years because of vast availability of its resource. A study was carried out to investigate the stochastic characteristics of the available wind energy at installation sites. Data for a ten-minute interval wind speed collected over a period of five years and measured at a height of 10, 40 and 62 m in Vredendal was considered. Wind speed data was arranged in seasonal format and its statistical distribution investigated based on Weibull, lognormal and gamma distributions. The Anderson-Darling test and Akaike information criterion were used to evaluate the goodness of fit. The results showed that wind power at different heights and time stamps exhibited different statistical distribution. It was found that wind turbines in Vredendal must be installed as high as possible to harness wind power effectively. During summer and spring, there was a high potential for wind power availability compared with that of winter.https://journals.assaf.org.za/jesa/article/view/2746 |
| spellingShingle | Thapelo Cornelius Mosetlhe Adedayo Ademola Yusuff Yskandar Hamam Investigating seasonal wind energy potential in Vredendal, South Africa Journal of Energy in Southern Africa |
| title | Investigating seasonal wind energy potential in Vredendal, South Africa |
| title_full | Investigating seasonal wind energy potential in Vredendal, South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Investigating seasonal wind energy potential in Vredendal, South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating seasonal wind energy potential in Vredendal, South Africa |
| title_short | Investigating seasonal wind energy potential in Vredendal, South Africa |
| title_sort | investigating seasonal wind energy potential in vredendal south africa |
| url | https://journals.assaf.org.za/jesa/article/view/2746 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT thapelocorneliusmosetlhe investigatingseasonalwindenergypotentialinvredendalsouthafrica AT adedayoademolayusuff investigatingseasonalwindenergypotentialinvredendalsouthafrica AT yskandarhamam investigatingseasonalwindenergypotentialinvredendalsouthafrica |