Inland Wind Resource Assessment in Southeast Finland

Abstract

Rapid development of wind power technologies is enabling many nations to increase the share of wind energy in total electricity production. Finland, in common with many other countries, has a target of raising the contribution of wind resources to national energy production. The majority of existing and planned turbines in Finland are located in coastal areas, where the wind resources can provide favorable conditions for wind farms. However, considerable wind potential may exist in inland areas of the country. This paper presents a wind resource analysis of the southeast of Finland. The wind data, consisting of meteorological mast and LIDAR measurements at several heights, were collected in 2009 – 2011. The analysis includes monthly average wind speed, diurnal wind behavior and wind shear assessment. The energy output is estimated for a 3 MW wind turbine based on real wind speed distributions. Capacity factors are calculated to assess 3 MW wind turbine feasibility at the site. The obtained results demonstrate that inland wind conditions have sufficient potential to allow wind energy to thrive.