High-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy assessments: A review of potential definitions, methodologies and future research needs

McKenna R, Pfenninger S, Heinrichs H, Schmidt J, Staffell I, Bauer C, Gruber K, Hahmann AN, Jansen M, Klingler M, Landwehr N, Larsén XG, Lilliestam J, Pickering B, Robinius M, Tröndle T, Turkovska O, Wehrle S, Weinand JM, Wohland J (2022)

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2022

Journal

Renewable Energy Elsevier

Book Volume: 182

Pages Range: 659-684

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2021.10.027

Abstract

The rapid uptake of renewable energy technologies in recent decades has increased the demand of energy researchers, policymakers and energy planners for reliable data on the spatial distribution of their costs and potentials. For onshore wind energy this has resulted in an active research field devoted to analysing these resources for regions, countries or globally. A particular thread of this research attempts to go beyond purely technical or spatial restrictions and determine the realistic, feasible or actual potential for wind energy. Motivated by these developments, this paper reviews methods and assumptions for analysing geographical, technical, economic and, finally, feasible onshore wind potentials. We address each of these potentials in turn, including aspects related to land eligibility criteria, energy meteorology, and technical developments of wind turbine characteristics such as power density, specific rotor power and spacing aspects. Economic aspects of potential assessments are central to future deployment and are discussed on a turbine and system level covering levelized costs depending on locations, and the system integration costs which are often overlooked in such analyses. Non-technical approaches include scenicness assessments of the landscape, constraints due to regulation or public opposition, expert and stakeholder workshops, willingness to pay/accept elicitations and socioeconomic cost-benefit studies. For each of these different potential estimations, the state of the art is critically discussed, with an attempt to derive best practice recommendations and highlight avenues for future research.

Authors with CRIS profile

Johan Lilliestam

Additional Organisation(s)

Lehrstuhl für Sustainability Transition Policy

Involved external institutions

Forschungszentrum Jülich / Research Centre Jülich (FZJ) DE Germany (DE) Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) CH Switzerland (CH) Technical University of Denmark / Danmarks Tekniske Universitet (DTU) DK Denmark (DK) Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETHZ) / Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich CH Switzerland (CH) Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (BOKU) / University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna AT Austria (AT) Imperial College London / The Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine GB United Kingdom (GB) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) DE Germany (DE) University of Aberdeen GB United Kingdom (GB) Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) NL Netherlands (NL) Universität Potsdam DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

McKenna, R., Pfenninger, S., Heinrichs, H., Schmidt, J., Staffell, I., Bauer, C.,... Wohland, J. (2022). High-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy assessments: A review of potential definitions, methodologies and future research needs. Renewable Energy, 182, 659-684. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.10.027

MLA:

McKenna, Russell, et al. "High-resolution large-scale onshore wind energy assessments: A review of potential definitions, methodologies and future research needs." Renewable Energy 182 (2022): 659-684.

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