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December 08, 2005
UN Study Finds Wind Power Has Much More Potential in Developing Countries
A recent study by the United Nations Energy Program (UNEP), based on satellite measurements and computer models that provide a more detailed assessment of a country's potential for harnessing wind power, has revealed that wind power is much more viable than previously believed.
New data suggests that about 13 per cent of the land in the developing world could have potential. The study defines suitable areas as those that could generate 300 watts per square metre, needing winds of at least 6.4 to 7 metres per second at 50 metres above the ground.
However suitability of wind power varied widely across developing nations. In Bangladesh, for instance, the study identified that just 0.2 per cent of the land would be suitable for windmills. In Nicaragua, Mongolia and Vietnam, the figure was as high as 40 per cent.
Posted by admin at December 8, 2005 01:05 PM