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Calcimator

Wind Resource Assessment Calculator

Assess wind energy potential using Weibull distribution parameters.

Inputs

m/s
kg/m³
ft
ft

Results

Wind Speed at Hub

8.7 m/s

Power Density

877 W/m²

Wind Class1
Weibull Scale (c)10.37 m/s
Annual Energy Density7,685 kWh/m²
How to Use This Calculator
  1. Enter the mean wind speed at your site from anemometer data or a wind atlas.
  2. Input the Weibull shape parameter (k) characterizing the wind speed distribution.
  3. Set the air density at your site elevation.
  4. Review the estimated annual energy density in W/m² and the wind power class.
  5. Sites with annual mean wind speeds above 6 m/s at 80 m hub height are generally viable for utility-scale wind.

How the result changes with Mean Wind Speed

Mean Wind SpeedWind Speed at HubPower Density
3.44.55 m/s126 W/m²
9.412.58 m/s2,653 W/m²
1722.74 m/s15,695 W/m²
2330.77 m/s38,869 W/m²

What each input means

Mean Wind Speed
Average wind speed at measurement height.
Weibull Shape (k)
Weibull shape parameter. 2.0 is typical for most sites.
Air Density
Air density at your elevation.
Hub Height
Turbine hub height above ground.
Measurement Height
Height at which wind speed was measured.
Wind Shear Exponent
Surface roughness exponent. 0.14 for open terrain, 0.25 for suburbs.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

  1. Identify Input Parameters
    4 parameters
    Mean Wind Speed = 6.5, Weibull Shape (k) = 2, Air Density = 1.225, Hub Height = 80 = 6 input(s) provided
  2. Calculate Wind Speed at Hub
    Wind Speed at Hub
    8.7 = 8.7
  3. Calculate Power Density
    Power Density
    877 = 877
  4. Calculate Wind Class
    1 = 1
  5. Calculate Weibull Scale
    Weibull Scale
    10.37 = 10.37

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