Wind Resource Assessment on Puná Island

Puná Island, located in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Ecuador, has a population of approximately 3344 inhabitants. However, not all inhabitants have access to electricity, which is largely supplied by diesel generators. Therefore, to identify a renewable, sustainable, environmentally f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied sciences 2019-07, Vol.9 (14), p.2923
Main Authors: Merizalde, Yuri, Hernández-Callejo, Luis, Gracia Bernal, Javier, Telmo Martínez, Enrique, Duque-Perez, Oscar, Sánchez, Francisco, Llombart Estpopiñán, Andrés
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computer simulation
Diesel generators
Drinking water
Economic growth
Electric power generation
Electricity
Electricity generation
Energy
Friction
Generators
Inhabitants
Internet access
Land settlement
Landowners
Mathematical models
Population
renewable energy
Software
Studies
Turbines
wind energy potential
Wind power
Wind speed
wind turbines
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Summary:Puná Island, located in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Ecuador, has a population of approximately 3344 inhabitants. However, not all inhabitants have access to electricity, which is largely supplied by diesel generators. Therefore, to identify a renewable, sustainable, environmentally friendly and low-cost alternative, a 40-m-high anemometer tower was installed for wind resource assessment and to determine the possibility of generating electricity from wind energy. Based on mathematical models for electricity generation from wind energy, data were analyzed using the software Windographer and WAsP, to determine a long-term wind speed of 4.8 m/s and a mean wind power density of 272 W/m2. By simulating the use of a 3.3-MW wind turbine, we demonstrated that as much as 800 kWh could be generated during the hours when the wind reaches its highest speed. In addition to demonstrating the technical feasibility of meeting the electricity demands of Puná Island through wind power, this study exemplifies a method that can be used for wind resource assessment in any location.
ISSN:2076-3417
2076-3417
DOI:10.3390/app9142923