Q1 2015 Global Wind Anomalies as shown in the Wind Trends Bulletin.
The quarterly Wind Trends Bulletin provides wind plant owners, investors and operators with a high-level analysis of wind resource performance influenced by climatic fluctuations. This aids in identifying potential issues with wind plant under-performance.
The Wind Trends Bulletin for Q1 2015 has recently been released, and its findings are presented here. Download the full report for more detail.
Q1 2015 – Global Wind Anomalies
In the first quarter of 2015, winds were above normal relative to the long-term, first quarter norm (1988-2012) across southern Canada, central Latin America, much of Europe and the Mediterranean, and eastern portions of Africa. Winds were below normal across most of the United States and Mexico, as well as southern Latin America, central Europe, and central Asia.
Severely below normal winds persisted across much of the Unites States since the previous quarter. Key wind producing areas such as central Texas and Oklahoma, and nearly all areas west of the Continental Divide experienced wind speeds 10-25% below normal. Areas east of the Mississippi also had low wind speeds compared to the long term-norm, but much less so than in the west. Both the northern Great Plains and Northeast had near normal to slightly above normal wind speeds.
The first quarter wind speed departures varied across Latin America. Strongly below normal wind speeds extended from the western United States through most of Mexico, while Central America and most northern areas of South America experienced above normal wind speeds. Strongly above normal winds persisted throughout all of the quarter in northeastern Brazil, with winds in excess of 30% above normal. Most other regions to the south ended the quarter with near normal to slightly below normal wind speeds.
Over Europe, winds throughout the quarter were quite variable over the northern and central regions. In contrast, winds to the south were very consistent throughout the quarter and areas along the Mediterranean saw winds in excess of 25% above normal for the quarter.
Elsewhere, wind speeds over southern and eastern Africa rounded out the quarter above normal, while winds over much of India and through the Tibetan Plateau were consistently below normal.
AWS Truepower
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