Wind Resource Assessment Using the Numerical Weather Prediction Model to Identify the Offshore Wind Resource in the Philippines

Developing nations need to build their economies in order to reach the millennium goals of the world. Energy is an essential resource for economic development but the conventional fuel at present is not a sustainable energy source. Thus, these countries must seek for renewable energy sources so that they can develop in a sustainable manner. Wind energy is found to be a potential source for power generation especially, the offshore locations. There are many developing countries in the low-latitude areas that have open waters close to them. So, offshore wind energy may be a possible source for power but there are limited data available to make a reliable wind resource assessment (WRA). This study aims to develop a wind characterisation methodthat can be useful for coastal and small island areas with no or few in-situ wind observations. The study area is focused in Palawan Province of the Philippines because it has similar characteristics as small island nations and coastal areas in the low-latitude regions. The research found that numerical weather prediction is an alternative for in-situ wind measurements for WRA. A technique that involves coupling mesoscale model to microscale model is employed in this work in order to produce wind maps. The results found that a combination of mesoscale model and microscale model can be a good method for wind profiling areas without or few wind observations. The mesoscale model is deemed sufficient for open water areas while coastal areas are better represented by microscale models especially the low wind speed conditions

Wind Energy Projection for the Philippines based on Climate Change Modeling

To complement the existing method of wind energy assessment, this study presents wind energy projection by downscaling a regional climate model, RegCM3, which is also used in predicting rainfall and temperature changes, and using a conversion method using the Weibull distribution. A couple of papers which used long-term predicting models focused on two regions, China and the US High Plains, show a decrease of about 14% and 7%-17% respectively in wind power density due to global warming over the next century. This paper focuses on a smaller grid size of 10 km x 10 km to concentrate on a specific wind farm in Pililla, Rizal, Philippines which is considered as a commercially feasible site by wind developers. Wind energy projection that considers the effects of climate change for the expected period of operation of 25 years is used because this gives wind developers an outlook on the power production during the wind farm\u27s lifetime and would contribute in determining the wind farm\u27s potential for financial returns. Percentage difference of wind power density between the baseline period of 2008-2012 and five-year projection periods from 2013-2037 are presented. Contrary to the results of studies in China and western US, the results of this research show that there is an average five-year period increase of 6% in wind power density in Pililla, Rizal over the next 25 years

Investigating size-segregated sources of elemental composition of particulate matter in the South China Sea during the 2011 Vasco cruise

The South China Sea (SCS) is a receptor of numerous natural and anthropogenic aerosol species from throughout greater Asia. A combination of several developing countries, archipelagic and peninsular terrain, a strong Asian monsoon climate, and a host of multi-scale meteorological phenomena make the SCS one of the most complex aerosol–meteorological systems in the world. However, aside from the well-known biomass burning emissions from Indonesia and Borneo, the current understanding of aerosol sources is limited, especially in remote marine environments. In September 2011, a 2-week research cruise was conducted near Palawan, Philippines, to sample the remote SCS environment. Size-segregated aerosol data were collected using a Davis Rotating Uniform size-cut Monitor (DRUM) sampler and analyzed for concentrations of 28 elements measured via X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was performed separately on the coarse, fine, and ultrafine size ranges to determine possible sources and their contributions to the total elemental particulate matter mass. The PMF analysis resolved six sources across the three size ranges: biomass burning, oil combustion, soil dust, a crustal–marine mixed source, sea spray, and fly ash. Additionally, size distribution plots, time series plots, back trajectories and satellite data were used in interpreting factors. The multi-technique source apportionment revealed the presence of biogenic sources such as soil dust, sea spray, and a crustal–marine mixed source. Anthropogenic sources were also identified: biomass burning, oil combustion, and fly ash. Mass size distributions showed elevated aerosol concentrations towards the end of the sampling period, which coincided with a shift of air mass back trajectories to southern Kalimantan. Covariance between coarse-mode soil dust and fine-mode biomass burning aerosols were observed. Agreement between the PMF and the linear regression analyses indicates that the PMF solution is robust. While biomass burning is indeed a key source of aerosol, this study shows the presence of other important sources in the SCS. Identifying these sources is not only key for characterizing the chemical profile of the SCS but, by improving our picture of aerosol sources in the region, also a step forward in developing our understanding of aerosol–meteorology feedbacks in this complex environment

Aerosol meteorology of Maritime Continent for the 2012 7SEAS southwest monsoon intensive study - Part 2: Philippine receptor observations of fine-scale aerosol behavior

Abstract. The largest 7 Southeast Asian Studies (7SEAS) operations period within the Maritime Continent (MC) occurred in the August–September 2012 biomass burning season. Data included were observations aboard the M/Y Vasco, dispatched to the Palawan Archipelago and Sulu Sea of the Philippines for September 2012. At these locations, the Vasco observed MC smoke and pollution entering the southwest monsoon (SWM) monsoonal trough. Here we describe the research cruise findings and the finer-scale aerosol meteorology of this convectively active region. This 2012 cruise complemented a 2-week cruise in 2011 and was generally consistent with previous findings in terms of how smoke emission and transport related to monsoonal flows, tropical cyclones (TC), and the covariance between smoke transport events and the atmosphere's thermodynamic structure. Biomass burning plumes were usually mixed with significant amounts of anthropogenic pollution. Also key to aerosol behavior were squall lines and cold pools propagating across the South China Sea (SCS) and scavenging aerosol particles in their path. However, the 2012 cruise showed much higher modulation in aerosol frequency than its 2011 counterpart. Whereas in 2011 large synoptic-scale aerosol events transported high concentrations of smoke into the Philippines over days, in 2012 measured aerosol events exhibited a much shorter-term variation, sometimes only 3–12 h. Strong monsoonal flow reversals were also experienced in 2012. Nucleation events in cleaner and polluted conditions, as well as in urban plumes, were observed. Perhaps most interestingly, several cases of squall lines preceding major aerosol events were observed, as opposed to 2011 observations where these lines largely scavenged aerosol particles from the marine boundary layer. Combined, these observations indicate pockets of high and low particle counts that are not uncommon in the region. These perturbations are difficult to observe by satellite and very difficult to model. Indeed, the Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) simulations captured longer period aerosol events quite well but largely failed to capture the timing of high-frequency phenomena. Ultimately, the research findings of these cruises demonstrate the real world challenges of satellite-based missions, significant aerosol life cycle questions such as those the future Aerosol/Clouds/Ecosystems (ACE) will investigate, and the importance of small-scale phenomena such as sea breezes, squall lines, and nucleation events embedded within SWM patterns in dominating aerosol life cycle and potential relationships to clouds

Aerosol Meteorology of the Maritime Continent for the 2012 7SEAS Southwest Monsoon Intensive Study - Part 2: Philippine Receptor Observations of Fine-Scale Aerosol Behavior

The largest 7 Southeast Asian Studies (7SEAS) operations period within the Maritime Continent (MC) occurred in the August–September 2012 biomass burning season. Data included were observations aboard the M/Y Vasco, dispatched to the Palawan Archipelago and Sulu Sea of the Philippines for September 2012. At these locations, the Vasco observed MC smoke and pollution entering the southwest monsoon (SWM) monsoonal trough. Here we describe the research cruise findings and the finer-scale aerosol meteorology of this convectively active region. This 2012 cruise complemented a 2-week cruise in 2011 and was generally consistent with previous findings in terms of how smoke emission and transport related to monsoonal flows, tropical cyclones (TC), and the covariance between smoke transport events and the atmosphere’s thermodynamic structure. Biomass burning plumes were usually mixed with significant amounts of anthropogenic pollution. Also key to aerosol behavior were squall lines and cold pools propagating across the South China Sea (SCS) and scavenging aerosol particles in their path. However, the 2012 cruise showed much higher modulation in aerosol frequency than its 2011 counterpart. Whereas in 2011 large synoptic-scale aerosol events transported high concentrations of smoke into the Philippines over days, in 2012 measured aerosol events exhibited a much shorter-term variation, sometimes only 3–12 h. Strong monsoonal flow reversals were also experienced in 2012. Nucleation events in cleaner and polluted conditions, as well as in urban plumes, were observed. Perhaps most interestingly, several cases of squall lines preceding major aerosol events were observed, as opposed to 2011 observations where these lines largely scavenged aerosol particles from the marine boundary layer. Combined, these observations indicate pockets of high and low particle counts that are not uncommon in the region. These perturbations are difficult to observe by satellite and very difficult to model. Indeed, the Navy Aerosol Analysis and Prediction System (NAAPS) simulations captured longer period aerosol events quite well but largely failed to capture the timing of high-frequency phenomena. Ultimately, the research findings of these cruises demonstrate the real world challenges of satellite-based missions, significant aerosol life cycle questions such as those the future Aerosol/Clouds/Ecosystems (ACE) will investigate, and the importance of small-scale phenomena such as sea breezes, squall lines, and nucleation events embedded within SWM patterns in dominating aerosol life cycle and potential relationships to clouds

Observations of the temporal variability in aerosol properties and their relationships to meteorology in the summer monsoonal South China Sea/East Sea: The scale-dependent role of monsoonal flows, the Madden-Julian Oscillation, tropical cyclones, squall l

10.5194/acp-15-1745-2015Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics1541745-176