Wind and Wind Power Ramp Variability over Northern Mexico

The seasonal and diurnal variability of the wind resource in Northern Mexico is examined. Fourteen weather stations were grouped according to the terrain morphology and weather systems that affect the region to evaluate the impact on wind ramps and high wind persistent events. Four areas driven by w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAtmosphere Vol. 11; no. 12; p. 1281
Main Authors Pereyra-Castro, Karla, Caetano, Ernesto, Martínez-Alvarado, Oscar, Quintanilla-Montoya, Ana L.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 2020
Subjects
Alternative energy sources
Cold front
Cold fronts
Electricity distribution
Evaluation
Fronts
Mathematical models
Mesoscale convective systems
Mesoscale phenomena
Mexico
Morphology
Quality control
Ramps
Resource management
Seasonal variability
Seasonal variations
Seasonality
Strong winds
Summer circulation
Topography
Variability
Weather
Weather forecasting
Weather stations
weather systems
wind energy
Wind farms
Wind power
wind ramps
Wind variability
Winds
Mexico
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Summary:The seasonal and diurnal variability of the wind resource in Northern Mexico is examined. Fourteen weather stations were grouped according to the terrain morphology and weather systems that affect the region to evaluate the impact on wind ramps and high wind persistent events. Four areas driven by weather systems seasonality are identified. Wind power ramps and persistent generation events are produced by cold fronts in winter, while mesoscale convective systems and local circulations are dominant in summer. Moreover, the 2013 wind forecast of the Rapid Refresh Model (RAP) and the North American Mesoscale Forecast System (NAM) forecast systems were also assessed. In general, both systems have less ability to predict mesoscale events and local circulations over complex topography, underestimating strong winds and overestimating weak winds. Wind forecast variations in the mesoscale range are smoother than observations due to the effects of spatial and temporal averaging, producing fewer wind power ramps and longer lasting generation events. The study carried out shows the importance of evaluating operational models in terms of wind variability, wind power ramps and persistence events to improve the regional wind forecast. The characteristics of weather systems and topography of Mexico requires model refinements for proper management of the wind resource.
ISSN:2073-4433
2073-4433
DOI:10.3390/atmos11121281