Probability density function selection based on the characteristics of wind speed data

The probabilistic approach has an important place in the wind energy research field as it provides cheap and fast initial information for experts with the help of simulations and estimations. Wind energy experts have been using the Weibull distribution for wind speed data for many years. Nevertheless, there exist cases, where the Weibull distribution is inappropriate with data presenting bimodal or multimodal behaviour which are unfit in high, null and low winds that can cause serious energy estimation errors. This paper presents a procedure for dealing with wind speed data taking into account non-Weibull distributions or data treatment when needed. The procedure detects deviations from the unimodal (Weibull) distribution and proposes other possible distributions to be used. The deviations of the used distributions regarding real data are addressed with the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and the annual energy production (AEP)

The Financial Benefits of Various Catastrophic Failure Prevention Strategies in a Wind Farm: Two market studies (UK-Spain)

Operation of wind farms is driven by the overall aim of minimising costs while maximising energy sales. However, in certain circumstances investments are required to guarantee safe operation and survival of an asset. In this paper, we discuss the merits of various catastrophic failure prevention strategies in a Spanish wind farm. The wind farm operator was required to replace blades in two phases: temporary and final repair. We analyse the power performance of the turbine in the different states and investigate four scenarios with different timing of temporary and final repair during one year. The financial consequences of the scenarios are compared with a baseline by using a discounted cash flow analysis that considers the wholesale electricity market selling prices and interest rates. A comparison with the UK electricity market is conducted to highlight differences in the rate of return in the two countries