Module 1 Wind Energy as a

Resource
Overview

• What is Wind Energy

• Wind Conversion
• Density of Air
• Rotor Area
• Power of the Wind
• Wind Generation in Canada
• Wind and Renewable Capacity Globally
What is Wind Energy

• Wind is a form of solar energy

• Warm air rises and spreads north
and south (elevation of 10 km)
• Cooler air near the surface flows
in to replace rising air
 POLAR CELL

Global FERREL CELL

Circulation of
Cells Drive HADLEY CELL

Winds
HADLEY CELL

FERREL CELL

POLAR CELL

Source: https://blog.aviation.metoffice.gov.uk/2017/03/03/jet-streams-a-river-in-the-sky/
Wind
Conversion

Practical utility-scale wind turbines achieve at peak 75–80% of the

Betz limit but most operate within the 40% efficiency mark.
 Kinetic energy of wind depends on the density of the air (mass/unit
of volume)

Air density formula: ρ = mass of air / volume

Density of Air If air is heavier then more energy received.

Some factors that impact air density include:

Humidity levels Temperatures Altitudes

Rotor Area
Wind Speed
• The movement of air from a higher
pressure area to a relatively lower
pressure area is what generates wind.
• Pressure gradient is a term to describe
the difference in air pressure between
two points in the atmosphere or on the
surface of the Earth.
• Anywhere with many lines packed
together indicates a large pressure
gradient and therefore strong winds.
Measuring the Power
of the Wind

• Power of Wind (P) = ½ ρ π r2 v3 η

• P = power of wind in W (watts)
• ρ = density of air = 1.225 kg/m3
• Π = 3.1416…
• r = radius of the rotor (m)
• V = velocity of wind (m/s)
• η = efficiency of the turbine

The map above the slicing of the Canadian territory in 65 tiles and an
overview of mean wind speed (avg. height of 80 m)

Source: Windatlas.ca (2016)

Alberta Wind Resource Potential
• Southern Alberta possess some of the strongest
wind resources in the province.

Source: AESO 2020 LTP

 Wind Generation in Canada

• Canada is ninth in the world for total onshore installed

wind energy capacity.1

• 597 MW of wind was installed in Alberta, Ontario, BC and

Saskatchewan in 2019, alone.

• Installation costs have declined 69% since 2009.

• Wind energy is the largest source of new electricity

generation in Canada (growth rate of 20 per cent per
year). 2

1CANWEA – Wind Energy / Installed Capacity, 2019

2 Percentage of electricity demand – StatsCan 2017
 Wind and Renewable Capacity Globally

Global Renewable Energy Capacity

Source: Renewables Global Status Report (GSR), Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), 2020
 Wind Capacity Globally

• China (27 GW) and the

United States (9 GW)
continued to
dominate.

• Germany, India, Spain

and the U.K with more
than 2 GW each.

• France, Sweden,
Mexico & Argentina
expanded their wind
capacity by 1 GW or
more.
Source: Renewables Global Status Report (GSR), Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), 2020
• More than 200 GW
capacity installed in 2019
(Global total = 2,588 GW)
• 57% of renewable power
capacity additions were of
solar PV (115MW),
• Then wind power (around
60 GW for 30%)
• Hydropower (some 16 GW
for 8%).
• The remaining 5% of
additions were from bio-
power, geothermal power
and concentrating solar
thermal power (CSP)