Vaisala has partnered with the Masdar Institute to develop the UAE Wind Atlas - the first publicly available wind resource database in the Middle East. Launched at the World Future Energy Summit, this highly significant investment and infrastructure planning tool is free to access through the International Renewable Energy Agency's (IRENA) Global Atlas.
As the United Arab Emirates (UAE) seeks to satisfy domestic energy demand by diversifying its oil-rich energy portfolio, progressive economic policies and a supportive stance on renewable energy look set to make the country a leader within the region. While, as a desert nation, the UAE is primarily recognized for its strong solar potential, wind energy will play an important role in broadening the range of renewable energy sources and providing security of supply when solar energy falls short, such as during night time hours.
Given the variable nature of wind generation, siting and integrating high penetrations of wind energy pose unique challenges. Bringing online large volumes of wind power in a cost-effective manner demands the formation of comprehensive energy policies and infrastructure plans.
These, in turn, require a detailed understanding of available wind resources and their variability over time and space. To fill this crucial information gap, the Masdar Institute sought Vaisala's advanced wind analysis capabilities and extensive experience in large-scale renewable energy mapping efforts.
Masdar sees the UAE Wind Atlas as a mission-critical tool for evaluating the country's potential, particularly due to wind's unique characteristics as a resource.
"Wind information has to be generated at a number of heights and a whole altitude profile needs to be produced as different turbine technologies work at different heights," said Hosni Ghedira, director of the Masdar Institute. "Also, unlike solar, wind can vary significantly across short distances, so high-resolution spatial information is vital."
With 10 years of hourly meteorological data at multiple heights and a spatial resolution of 500-meters, the wind atlas developed by Vaisala and the Masdar Institute provides a comprehensive view of the UAE's wind resource to support wind energy investment decisions. To complete the atlas, Vaisala employed an advanced ensemble modeling approach, calibrated by available observations and tested to find the most accurate fit for the country's unique local environment.
"The launch of the UAE Wind Atlas marks another key milestone in our efforts to bring a comprehensive clean energy resource map to the global community," said Adnan Z. Amin, director-general of IRENA,. "The support provided by Masdar Institute's Research Centre for Renewable Energy Mapping and Assessment and Vaisala has been critical to help developers of clean energy projects find valuable information to assist in their investment decisions."
To access publicly available information from Vaisala's UAE wind study, visit IRENA's Global Atlas or the Masdar Institute's interactive portal at ReCREMA. For more information about the range of services offered by Vaisala to the renewable energy sector, go to www.vaisala.com/energy.