A Multiscale Assessment of Wind Energy Resources and Suitability in the Russian Arctic

• Main Author: Iusubova, Narmnina
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: UNI ScholarWorks 2017
• Subjects: Wind power plants > Location > Russia; Industrial location > Environmental aspects > Russia; Geography; Arctic; Russian North
• Online Access: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/agss/2017/all/43

Wind as a renewable and clean source of energy has begun to take high position in world dialog about energy production. Today, one of the big questions is to find the most suitable locations for wind farms, with the goal of achieving the highest rates of electricity production possible. In order to find most suitable place to build windfarms, we need to develop multifactor multiscale dynamic models of windfarm suitability. The interest of assessment of wind energy suitability in the Russian North regions came from idea of great potential of wind power on the north regions in general. The Russian Arctic coastline can be called the largest energy wind area that provides opportunity to implement wind energy technology. In our days north communities undergo the challenges of sustainable development of regions using the fuel energy resources. Before each winter season due to very difficult climatic conditions in the Far North, remote regions in Russia receive food and fuel supplies from the “mainland”, as a part of the “Northern supply” distribution system. This is a very costly and time-consuming. These challenges such as ecological sustainability and also the problems of transportation of fuel in the harsh conditions of the north can be solved by wind energy industry. One of the questions of wind energy implementation is to find the most suitable locations for wind turbines installation, with the goal of achieving the highest rates of electricity production possible along with ecological components. In order to find most suitable place to build wind energy stations research methods are based on region’s physical, environmental and human impacts characteristics. The results of wind energy resources assessment can be useful for the program of the development of electric power industry in Arctic region, where alternative energy sources can replace or reduce the use of the traditional fuel resources.