Analysis of wind power characteristics and the influence of topography, with a renewable energy generation approach (Case study: Mazandaran province)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Natural Heritage, Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Geography, NO.C., Islamic Azad University, Nour, Iran

Abstract

In this study, a statistical analysis of daily wind speed and direction at a height of 10 m in 15 synoptic meteorological stations of Mazandaran Province over a 12-year period (2006 to 2017) was conducted to provide a preliminary estimate of the extractable energy and spatial capacity of wind flow. In addition, the characteristics of wind speed and direction, Weibull probability distribution parameters and wind power potential and density of the stations were also determined. ArcGIS interpolation method (IDW) was used to prepare the calculated layers of the average speed, speed continuity, and power density of the wind at 10, 30, and 50 m heights. Furthermore, to examine the influence of topography on the wind variables, the Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between altitude, hillslope aspect, and slope indicators with each of the wind variables. There is only Baladeh station that has a limited possibility of extracting wind power at different heights. A map of wind speed zones at 50 m height reveals that Baladeh station has a maximum wind speed in July. The correlation coefficient between wind speed and altitude above sea level was 0.677. As the altitude of the meteorological stations in the province above sea level increases, the wind speed increases at a height of 10 meters above the ground. Wind energy is one of the most cost-benefit renewable energy sources for power generation, which is not only polluting the environment and being abundant and permanent, but also has the lowest price fluctuations. With the increase of altitude of meteorological stations of the province, the wind speed and power density of the station increases at a height of 10 meters above the ground.

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Main Subjects

References

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Researches in Earth Sciences
Volume 16, Special Issue - Serial Number 64
Special Issue
December 2025
Pages 92-114

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