evaluation of the wind power potential and wind characteristics for the generation of energy at yazd synoptic stations

in the current research, wind energy potential at yazd synoptic stations, which contain wind data with 10 years statistic period and beyond, including yazd synoptic station (1976-2006), tabass (1987-2006), robate poshte badam (1992-2006), bafgh (1993-2006) and marvast (1997-2006), has been studied. wind data were obtained from the recorded data at yazd meteorology organization. the data were recorded at an interval of 3 hrs at 10 m height above the ground level. using weibull distribution function, discontinuous wind data were substituted. this substitution has been applied through least square feet after computing weibull parameters c & k. wind date were changed at 10 m height to 50 m by applying one seventh power law (5o m is the most height of turbines axis) and characteristics of both wind speed and wind power in each height has been computed. due to wind power density equals 222.224 and 444.938 w/m2 at 10 and 50 m height respectively, average wind speed equals 7.78 m/s at 50 m height, wind existence equals 44571.1 h/y, probability of wind blowing in the wind existence hours with speeds between 3 to 25 m/s equals 0.94, most probability of wind speed equals 7.25 m/s and standard deviation of speeds equals 1.95 m/s, the result show that marvast synoptic station is an ideal place having high wind energy potential. application of wind energy at yazd synoptic station with turbines working at the speed of 2.32 m/s at 50 m height axis and above has been economically efficient. wind energy at tabass synoptic station is useful in agriculture. in addition to the result obtained a new equation emerged that might be useful in the calculation of the duration of wind existence in an area.