Wind Characteristics and Energy Potential in Belen-Hatay, Turkey

Abstract

In this study, wind characteristics in the Belen-Hatay province situated in southern Turkey were investigated by using the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP) for future wind power generation projects. Hourly wind speeds and directions between the years 2004 and 2005 were collected by the General Directorate of Electrical Power Resources Survey Administration (EIEI). Before the construction of the wind turbine generator in Belen-Hatay province, several fundamental properties of the site such as wind behavior, availability, continuity, and probability were carried out in order to provide the necessary information to the potential investors about cost and economical aspects of the planning wind energy project. The dominant wind directions, probability distributions, Weibull parameters, mean wind speeds, and power potentials were determined according to the wind directions, years, seasons, months, and hours of day, separately. Finally, at a 10 m height above ground level, mean wind speed and power potential of the site were found to be 7.0 m/s and 378 W/m², respectively.

Keywords:

• Wind speed
• Wind power potential
• Weibull parameters
• Wind characteristics

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The authors wish to thank the office of Scientific Research Projects of Cukurova University for funding this project under contract no. MMF2006D18.