BUSINESS

An evaluation of wind energy potential in Topoja area, Albania.

  • 1 Department of Production and Management, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Polytechnic University of Tirana, Albania
  • 2 Department of Energy, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Polytechnic University of Tirana, Albania
  • 3 Renewable Energy Directorate, National Agency of Natural Resources, Albania

Abstract

Climate change and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, have significantly increased interest globally in implementing technologies utilising renewable energy sources such as wind energy. This rise in interest it also in countries in which there is a lack of data showing longitudinal measures of wind speed. Balkan Wind Atlas was developed from Sander&Partner Institute in October 2014. It offers wind maps that are suitable to identify the windiest areas covering a surface of 325 000 km2 and a database for secured planning of wind energy for Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. This study investigated the high level of consistency of empirical wind measurements conducted on-site, compared to the ones offered in Balkan Wind Atlas. We also explore the ways of utilising the atlas through the WasP software to study wind potencial even in those areas where there are no on-site measurements, thus lowering costs for investments in wind farm projects. The evaluation of the wind energy potential in Topoja area was taken as a case study.

Keywords

References

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