HR: 17:45h
AN: B44B-08    [Abstracts]
TI: Wind Energy and Climate: Modeling the Atmospheric Impacts of Wind Energy Turbines
AU: * Adams, A S
EM: manda.adams@ucalgary.ca
AU: Keith, D W
EM: keith@ucalgary.ca
AB: The size and number of wind farms is growing across the globe. Wind energy provides the climatic benefit of producing energy without emitting CO2, however wind energy also produces unintended impacts. Large wind farms directly influence the atmospheric boundary layer by (1.) reducing wind speeds, (2.) generating blade scale turbulence in the wake of the turbines, and (3.) generating shear driven turbulence due to the reduced wind speeds in the turbine wake. Consequentially, large wind turbines can also have indirect effects on the local climate by influencing surface fluxes, advection of heat and moisture, and turbulent transport in the boundary layer. The Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) was modified to include an energy conserving wind farm parameterization. The wind farm parameterization exerts an elevated drag force on the wind, converts a fraction of the resolved flow into turbulent kinetic energy, and keeps track of the energy generated by the parameterized wind turbines. This presentation will use model simulations to examine the impacts that wind farms can have on the day to day weather and local climate of a region.
DE: 0399 General or miscellaneous
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting