The map represent analysis of the usable wind energy potential on the territory of the Czech Republic, performed within the frame of the study on connecting wind power plants to the distribution and transmission systems. To assess the total energy potential of wind, the following method was used. First, the total area suitable for wind power development is quantified. Then, by applying the density of potential installed capacity in MW/km2, the total potential installed capacity of wind power plants (WPP) on the territory of the Czech Republic is obtained.
The total area suitable for wind power development is found by the combination of the map of wind energy potential guaranteeing the profitable operation of wind power plants (WPP) and the maps of areas where building WPPs is very complicated or impossible. The principal source material for the analysis is the wind map conceived by the Institute of Atmospheric Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences [Ústav fyziky atmosféry AV ČR] showing average wind speeds at 100 metres above the ground. Other maps conceived by various specialized institutions are used too. Those maps were obtained from open sources as well as from the database of the EGÚ Brno Company. All the maps were transformed to the same format and scale so that they can be compared and combined in Mathematica program. Thus only the areas suitable for wind power development can be extracted. The map resolution of 4026×2334 pixels is used: taking into account the size of Czech Republic 1 pixel corresponds to about 120 metres in reality.
In the second step, so-called unit area (area necessary for generating 1 MW in WPPs) is estimated. It represents the density of installed capacity and can be used for calculating the installed capacity of WPPs potentially connected to individual nodal areas of the distribution and transmission systems. The obtained potential of WPPs was then analysed in the study from the point of view of the transmission capacity of a given section of the network and the safety of its operation.
Further details can be found in attached files.
Acknowledgement:
The program is one of the results of research work funded until the end of 2008 from project No 102/06/1337 of the Czech Science Foundation, and later from Research plan No MSM0021630516 of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of Czech Republic.
