Techniques for Spatial Extrapolation of Wind Data

The assessment of wind energy potential throughout a given region is usually difficult because of the lack of a suitable data base. Typically, adequately long wind histories exist for only a relatively few regular wind measurement stations. This paper is concerned with the estimation of wind system parameters at a possible wind generation site, Y, by means of a short observed record at that site and extrapolation of a long term record at a regional weather station, X. The estimation is accomplished by assuming that the wind system at each site is generated by a common non-stationary process modified by site-specific scale factors and stationary noise processes. Elimination of the unknown non-stationary component leads to a representation of the wind record at Y in terms of the record at X and a stationary noise process. The procedure is exemplified using wind records from Boston Airport and the Boston light vessel.