Unit Code: PHY821

Unit Name: Wind Energy Meteorology

Description: Renewable energy resources are of utmost importance in today\'s changing world as we are faced with numerous energy security, environmental and global climate change challenges. To tackle these challenges we plan to reduce dependence on fossil fuel-based power generation to renewable energy-based power generation. Individual countries around the world, including the small island developing states (SIDSs) of the Southwest Pacific region, have set targets under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to increase the quota of electricity generation from renewable energy resources via the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as a means to tackle global climate change impacts. Thus, advanced knowledge about renewable energy resources that can be used for power generation such as wind energy becomes vital. This course will introduce students to wind energy meteorology with a focus on atmospheric physics for power generation concepts. Students will also learn, use and apply the standard wind industry software tool, Wind Atlas Application and Analysis Program (WAsP) alongside Windographer and WAsP Windfarm Assessment Tool (WAT) for different aspects of wind energy modelling, analysis and assessment. Students will use these numerical modelling tools to carry out a research project in wind energy meteorology with a focus on the small island developing states (SIDSs) of the Southwest Pacific region. This course will not only equip the students with theoretical knowledge of atmospheric physics of wind power generation but also industry standard practical aspects of numerical wind energy modelling.

Learning Target Outcomes:

Prerequisite: Bachelor Degree with Physics as a major subject

Prerequisite Sentence: N/A

Credit Point: 30

Offered In: Semester 1,2