Abstract
As part of the “Wind Atlas for South Africa” project, microscale modelling has been carried out for 10 meteorological stations in Northern, Western and Eastern Cape provinces.
Wind speed and direction data from ten 60-m masts have been analysed using the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP 12). Wind-climatological inputs are observed wind climates derived from the WAsP Climate Analyst. Topographical inputs are elevation vector maps constructed from SRTM 3 (NASA version 3) data and roughness length maps constructed from ESACCI 2015 (version 2.0.7) land cover data. Summaries are given of the data measured at the 10 masts, for 3- to 10-y full year periods in the reference period November 2010 to December 2020.
The main result of the microscale modelling is observational wind atlas data sets, which can be used for validation of the mesoscale modelling of South Africa. In addition, the microscale modelling itself may been validated by comparing observed and modelled vertical wind profiles at the 10 mast sites. WAsP generally works well, but modelling of the wind profiles can be improved by adjusting the land cover to roughness length translation, by using project-specific wind atlas heights, and by adjusting the heat flux parameters of WAsP.
Wind speed and direction data from ten 60-m masts have been analysed using the Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP 12). Wind-climatological inputs are observed wind climates derived from the WAsP Climate Analyst. Topographical inputs are elevation vector maps constructed from SRTM 3 (NASA version 3) data and roughness length maps constructed from ESACCI 2015 (version 2.0.7) land cover data. Summaries are given of the data measured at the 10 masts, for 3- to 10-y full year periods in the reference period November 2010 to December 2020.
The main result of the microscale modelling is observational wind atlas data sets, which can be used for validation of the mesoscale modelling of South Africa. In addition, the microscale modelling itself may been validated by comparing observed and modelled vertical wind profiles at the 10 mast sites. WAsP generally works well, but modelling of the wind profiles can be improved by adjusting the land cover to roughness length translation, by using project-specific wind atlas heights, and by adjusting the heat flux parameters of WAsP.
| Original language | English |
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| Place of Publication | Risø, Roskilde, Denmark |
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| Publisher | DTU Wind Energy |
| Number of pages | 68 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 978-87-93549-84-5 |
| Publication status | Published - 2021 |
| Series | DTU Wind Energy E |
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| Number | E-0216 |