The development and analysis of United States and India wind energy atlases that account for multiple altitudes, wind speed thresholds, and exclusions

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract
Climate change, air pollution, and energy security are significant challenges that this dissertation aims to help address. It does so by quantifying, for the first time, onshore and offshore wind resources at different relevant altitudes over both the United States and India, two of the largest global carbon emitters. Today, the United States is far short of meeting climate targets despite a rising penetration of onshore wind energy and a rapidly mobilizing offshore wind industry. India faces the challenges of meeting rising energy demand from a large and growing population, providing reliable and fully electrified energy, and eliminating its pollution and carbon emissions. Here, wind energy atlases were developed for the United States and India using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping that accounts for technical, climate, environmental, and social exclusions. These exclusions delineate areas where wind farm development is not permitted due to land or marine conservation, infrastructure and safety requirements, existing use by other stakeholders, and climate and ocean restrictions such as wind speed and water depth thresholds. Informed by policy and regulation, setback distances are applied from possible turbine locations to fully account for siting constraints. The outcome is a series of maps illustrating the best places to develop wind farms. Wind energy potential is quantified for multiple hub heights between 100-250 m, with several wind speed threshold, wake loss, and turbine scenarios. These maps will increase certainty for resource planning, significantly expedite the wind farm siting process, reduce investment risk, decrease future project costs, and increase access to key data for energy planners. Findings indicate that, with all but the highest wind speed thresholds, more than sufficient area and potential are available to meet U.S. and India demand for all energy purposes by 2050 using wind energy alone. With economically viable wind speed thresholds and hub heights of modern wind turbines, ~27% of onshore and ~64% of offshore U.S. areas are available, while ~23% of onshore areas in India are available. This translates to 32 TW, 27 TW, and 6.5 TW of potential, respectively. Wind power availability is generally more sensitive to increasing wind speed thresholds than hub height. The U.S. offshore analysis presents an additional economic heatmap to indicate low-cost areas and a map of optimal turbine foundation type. The India onshore analysis quantifies maximum area and potential for repowering, as well as the co-locational opportunities for wind with solar PV resources. Atlases with this detail and scope will help bring wind energy ambitions to fruition, driving the U.S. and India closer to a clean, reliable, and equitable renewable energy system.

Description

Type of resource text
Form electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource
Extent 1 online resource.
Place California
Place [Stanford, California]
Publisher [Stanford University]
Copyright date 2023; ©2023
Publication date 2023; 2023
Issuance monographic
Language English

Creators/Contributors

Author von Krauland, Anna-Katharina
Degree supervisor Jacobson, Mark Z. (Mark Zachary)
Thesis advisor Jacobson, Mark Z. (Mark Zachary)
Thesis advisor Enevoldsen, Peter
Thesis advisor Gorle, Catherine
Degree committee member Enevoldsen, Peter
Degree committee member Gorle, Catherine
Associated with Stanford University, School of Engineering
Associated with Stanford University, Civil & Environmental Engineering Department

Subjects

Genre Theses
Genre Text

Bibliographic information

Statement of responsibility Anna-Katharina von Krauland.
Note Submitted to the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department.
Thesis Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2023.
Location https://purl.stanford.edu/tr018cn3500

Access conditions

Copyright
© 2023 by Anna-Katharina von Krauland
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial 3.0 Unported license (CC BY-NC).

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