Wind speed distributions performance analysis

Wind is a resource present world wide and which can be used to generate both mechanical and electrical energy. However, it is intermittent and stochastic in nature, thus, its availability and intensity varies from one geographical region to another. Before setting up a project to generate electricity from the resource in a given location, it is necessary to determine the availability or potential of the resource in a given area. This step is important as it determines the economic feasibility and viability of such a project. Consequently, research is carried out in a given area to assess its potential in wind energy before starting any wind power generation project.
To carry out this evaluation, we make use of statistical distributions which capture or represent the wind behaviour in a given area. These distributions are then used to evaluate the potential at different hub heights. However, its stochastic nature creates several patterns which can’t be fitted by all distributions. As a result one distribution may capture the wind behaviour in one location and fail at another. Studies are then carried out to evaluate which distribution fits one location well and thus can provide good estimates at different hub heights. Several distributions are hence evaluated and their performances evaluated with chosen goodness of fit metrics. Based on this one can decide which distribution is best for the chosen site.