%0 Journal Article
%T Assessment of the Wind Energy Potential of Two Burundian Sites
%A Mathias Bashahu
%A Pierre Nsabimana
%A Juvenal Barakamfitiye
%A Fidele Niyukuri
%J Energy and Power Engineering
%P 181-200
%@ 1947-3818
%D 2022
%I Scientific Research Publishing
%R 10.4236/epe.2022.145010
%X 1-year hourly wind speed data from two Burundian stations, namely
Bujumbura and Muyinga, have been processed in this work to bring an efficient
help for the planning and installation of wind energy conversion systems (WECS)
at those localities. Mean seasonal and diurnal variations of wind direction and
wind shear exponent have been derived. Two-parameter Weibull probability
density functions (PDFs) fitting the observed monthly and annual wind speed
relative frequency distributions have been implemented. As shown through three
complementary statistical tests, the fitting technique was very satisfactory. A</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">wind resource</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">analysis at 10 m above
ground level (AGL) has led to</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">a mean
power density at Bujumbura which is almost thirteen fold higher than at
Muyinga. The use of the empirical power law to extrapolate wind characteristics
at</span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">heights
from 150 to 350 m AGL has shown that energy potential of hilltops around
Muyinga was only suitable for small, individual scale wind energy applications.
At the opposite, wind energy potential of ridge-tops and hilltops around
Bujumbura has been found suitable for medium and large scale electricity
production. For that locality and at those heights, energy outputs and capacity
factors (</span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">CF </span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">or </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">C</span><sub><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">f</span></sub></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">) have been computed for ten selected wind turbines
(WTs), together with costs of electricity (</span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">COE</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">)
using the present value of cost (</span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">PVC</span></i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">)
method. Amongst those WTs, YDF-1500-87 and S95-2.1 MW have emerged as the best
options for installation owing to their highest </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">CF</span></i></span><i><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"> </span></i><span style=\"font-family:&quot;\"><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">and lowest </span><i><span style=\"font-family:Verdana;\">COE</span></i><span
%K Wind Shear Exponent
%K Two-Parameter Weibull PDFs
%K Statistical Tests
%K Wind Energy Potential
%K WT¡¯s Energy Output and Capacity Factor
%K Cost of Electricity
%K Two Burundian Sites
%U http://www.scirp.org/journal/PaperInformation.aspx?PaperID=117681