An integrated GIS-based method for wind-power estimation: application to western Cyprus

This study presents an integrated method for the estimation and analysis of potential wind-energy resources in Cyprus, which is applied at selected sites on the western side of the island. Firstly, a statistical analysis of wind speed and direction data was conducted at six meteorological stations in western Cyprus, establishing daily, monthly and annual variations of wind speed. Also examined were the Weibull distributions of the wind at each site. These wind statistics serve as the basis for estimating corrected statistical distributions over the extended study areas, which were calculated using the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP) that modifies wind flow estimates based on local topographic effects. As a result, a geographic and wind-resource database was formulated around each station. Aggregation of this data using statistical weighting methods allows the extrapolation of observed results and the visualization for selected hours of the day over the western part of Cyprus. The results indicate the strong influence of the sea-breeze on the island's wind potential, and identify a number of areas of higher wind-energy potential suitable for wind-resource exploitation. It is hoped that both the methodology applied and results obtained can be further used by potential investors and wind-energy developers.