Wind speeds were down in Europe but intensified in the U.S. during the third quarter of this year, according to AWS Truepower LLC's windTrends Bulletin, a quarterly analytical wind report. Produced in partnership with AWS Truepower's European office, the report reviews wind patterns in the U.S. and Europe for the third quarter of this year based on AWS Truepower's windTrends meteorological data set.
The report reveals that the majority of Europe experienced mean wind speeds as much as 10% below the long-term average for the same quarter, with the exception of a few pockets of relatively windy conditions in Ireland and the U.K.Â
These patterns reflected the influence of the Azores high-pressure system and other weather patterns on pressure gradients and storm tracks.Â
Conversely, factors in the U.S., such as a negative North Atlantic oscillation index, a positive Pacific-North American pattern, and emerging La Nina contributed to noticeably intensified wind speeds for many wind development hotspots.
‘In particular, wind power plants in Colorado, Wyoming, New York and lower New England experienced a significant improvement in the available wind resource during the third quarter,’ says Michael Brower, chief technical officer at AWS Truepower.Â
Brower adds that mean wind speeds remained below normal throughout much of the U.S. for the 12 months ending Sept. 30, especially in the northern Great Plains and Upper Midwest. This period is sharply different from the previous 12 months ending in the third quarter of 2009, when over 90% of the U.S. experienced average or above-average wind speeds.
SOURCE: AWS Truepower LLC
