Developing a site selection methodology for wind energy conversion systems. Final report, 15 June 1977-15 September 1978

Progress on the development of a New Wind Energy Site Selection Methodology achieved during the final development phase of the program is described. The siting approach provides a useful preliminary to, and partial substitute for, conventional siting studies involving large field test programs by employing mathematical models of meso- and micrometeorology in regions of complex terrain. The models make use of data from meteorological stations where weather records are available and predict the windfield climatology of sites, within the region of interest, where data are unavailable. These forecasts are subsequently analyzed to predict site wind characteristics and to aid in the design of detailed field program to quantify the wind characteristics at promising wind energy sites.