Development of microscale wind maps for Phaluay Island, Thailand

Phaluay Island (9o 31’ 30.27” N 99o 41’ 19.66” E), located in the Gulf of Thailand, was selected by the Ministry of Energy of Thailand as a pilot model to demonstrate the development of a ‘Green Island’. Renewable energy including wind energy has been promoted as an energy resource for the island. In this study, a microscale wind map with a resolution of 90 m x 90 m was developed from a mesoscale wind data with the resolution of 3 x 3 km2 using Meteodyn WT wind resource assessment software. The results revealed the spatial variation of the microscale wind over the island. The high wind speed was found mostly in the mountainous area and finally the potential site for the installation of wind turbine on Phaluay Island was identified.