Marginal Winds Leading to Competitive Rates: A Case Study in Southern Tamaulipas

Abstract

Wind velocity was monitored from two towers located along the shoreline in southern Tamaulipas during a year. The computed wind potential at 50 m ranges from 205 to 212 W/m². The coastal sea breeze system on the study area is enforced by the synoptic surface flow along the year; it provides a permanency feature on the daily energy production and it also explains the higher power values in the evenings. Based on the topography and roughness maps, the database was extrapolated inland to an area of 234 km² by solving the non-linear Navier-Stokes equations. From the estimated Annual Energy Production for several groups of turbines simulated in the area, a feasibility financial study indicates that a utility scale wind farm may produce competitive electricity rates compared to local prices, despite that wind power is merely above poor.