Wind plants can impact long-term local atmospheric conditions

Area of Science:

• Atmospheric Science
• Meteorology
• Renewable Energy Impacts

Background:

• Long-term weather observatories are susceptible to environmental changes, including urban growth and vegetation shifts.
• Wind energy facilities generate wakes that modify local atmospheric conditions, reducing wind speed and increasing turbulence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of nearby wind plants on long-term atmospheric measurements at a central US site.
• To quantify the effects of wind plant wakes on wind speed and turbulence.

Main Methods:

• Utilized direct atmospheric observations.
• Employed mesoscale numerical weather prediction simulations.

Main Results:

• Wind plants induce a noticeable wind deficit aloft, particularly under stable atmospheric conditions.
• A near-surface wind speed acceleration was observed extending kilometers downwind.
• Turbulence kinetic energy increased significantly within the wind plant wake, with near-surface observations showing over 30% enhancement a few kilometers downwind in stable conditions.

Conclusions:

• Wind plant wakes demonstrably affect local atmospheric measurements, altering wind profiles and turbulence.
• These findings are crucial for interpreting data from atmospheric measurement sites located near wind energy facilities.