Wind characteristics and GIS-based spatial wind mapping study in Malaysia

Abstract

Malaysia intends to find alternative energy resources in electricity generation. Wind is one of the fastest growing resources in the world. However, initial wind characteristic study and spatial wind mapping need to be established prior to develop wind energy systems. Spatial wind mapping could provide a compact, informative picture of wind data. The aim of this study was to conduct initial wind characteristic study and spatial wind mapping in Malaysia. Wind data measured at a height of 10 m for nine selected potential sites in Malaysia were obtained from the Malaysian Meteorological Department. In this study, variations of wind speed according to height, Weibull distribution and spatial wind mapping by Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) were analyzed. The results revealed that, both wind resources at sites, Mersing and Kudat, had higher potential to develop a modern wind system. In addition, the Weibull distribution also proved that higher potential wind resources at Mersing site. Lastly, IDW spatial wind mapping showed that wind resources in the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia are higher than other areas. Spatial wind mapping could be a useful tool for the decision making and planning in wind energy development.