PNNL

Abstract

Wind energy plays a crucial role in sustainable power generation, yet its full potential in the southeast United States (SEUS) remains underexplored. This study advances wind resource assessment in the SEUS by taking advantage of existing regional modeling and multi-source observations. We find that terrain complexity, influenced by orography and forest canopy, significantly impacts the accuracy of modeled wind speed in the SEUS. While the High-Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) model analysis data effectively simulates wind profiles over flat, non-forested terrain, larger errors are produced above forest canopies, and particularly for those stands in hilly and mountainous terrain where there are no observations aloft that could be used by HRRR’s data assimilation software. Seasonal variations, e.g., changes in leaf area index, further complicate the relationship between terrain complexity and simulation errors. Our findings emphasize the critical need for comprehensive wind profile measurements, extending from below the canopy to height above the canopy and through the lower planetary boundary layer, to fully quantify model performance over and near forests. The research underscores the importance of additional operational wind profile measurements within a few hundred meters of the surface for improved wind resource assessment, planning, and management in the SEUS. This study provides valuable insights not only for further model development but also for future field campaign deployment with the goal of further improving our understanding of wind resources in the region.