An assessment the wind potential energy as a generator of electrical energy in the coastal area of southern Iraq

Renewable energies have the potential to provide relatively clean energy, mostly for domestic energy. Wind power generation is expected to rise in the near future and has grown exponentially over the past decade in many countries. The most important parameter that must be taken into consideration when designing and studying wind power conversion systems is the wind speed. Probability density functions (PDF) such as Weibull is often used in wind speed and wind power analyses. This research presents an assessment of wind power based on the Weibull distribution statistics in the coastal of southern Iraq at Basrah province. Wind speed data for the study site were obtained from NASA at a height of 50 m for the period 1979–2016 with a time interval of 10 min. The data at a height of 50 m were extrapolated using the power law in order to estimate the wind speed at new heights: 30, 70 and 100 m. The different parameters of the Weibull function as well as the daily and monthly wind speeds, mean, variance and potential energy at four altitudes were estimated and analysed using Windographer software. Results indicate that the maximum wind speed at 100 m is 6.4 m·s–1, giving an average power density of 298 W·m–2, which indicates that the location of the study has marginal and useless potential for installing large wind turbines.