Influence of Atmospheric Stability on Wind Turbine Energy Production: A Case Study of the Coastal Region of Yucatan

Abstract

Wind energy production mainly depends on atmospheric conditions. The atmospheric stability can be described through different parameters, such as wind shear, turbulence intensity, bulk Richardson number, and the Monin–Obukhov length. Although they are frequently used in micrometeorology and the wind industry, there is no standard comparison method. This study describes the atmospheric stability of a coastal region of Yucatan, Mexico, using these four parameters. They are calculated using six-month data from a meteorological mast and a marine buoy to determine atmospheric stability conditions and compare their results. The unstable atmospheric condition was predominant at the site, with an 80% occurrence during the measurement period, followed by 12% in neutral and 6% in stable conditions. Wind speed estimations were performed for each atmospheric stability scenario, and the variation in the energy produced was derived for each case. Unstable atmospheric conditions deliver up to 8% more power than stable conditions, while neutral conditions deliver up to 9% more energy than stable conditions. Therefore, considering a neutral state may lead to a considerably biased energy production estimation. Finally, an example calculation indicates that atmospheric stability is a crucial parameter in estimating wind energy production more accurately.