Wind energy potential analysis using Sentinel-1 satellite: A review and a case study on Mediterranean islands

A method for assessing and mapping the wind energy potential of near- and off-shore areas by means of multi sensor satellites (i.e. the recently launched Sentinel 1) is shown in this paper and applied to a case study area in the north-west coast of the Sicily island. The presented method aims at i) preliminary identifying the best sites for wind turbine generators installation and/or ii) estimating the average wind potential in small areas (e.g. archipelagos) for energy planning purposes. Firstly, a detailed literature review of existing techniques for wind speed estimation has been carried out, considering the most traditional methods (e.g. meteorological masts), remote sensing techniques and including a thorough review on the use of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) methods integrated with Geophysical Model Functions (GMFs) for wind speed retrieval. This review enables to identify CMOD5 (C Geophysical model function 5) as the best performing GMF overcoming the CMOD4 accuracy issues in high wind speed conditions. Thus, the method has been detailly described and showcased through the analysis of the case study. SAR images from the Sentinel 1 satellite have been processed by means of the Sentinel Application Platform (SNAP) software. Afterwards, the wind speed and direction have been mapped through a Geographic Information System software. Lastly, the mean wind climate has been extrapolated for a specific Region Of Interest by the Environment for Visualizing Images (ENVI) 4.8 software. Consequentially, six hot spots characterized by high-energy potential have been identified as possible sites for possible installations of wind turbine generators.