Evaluating the wind speed persistence for several wind stations in Peninsular Malaysia

An important factor to consider when evaluating wind energy potential is the wind speed persistence. In this study, persistence of the wind speed in Peninsular Malaysia is investigated based on the hourly data available at 10 wind stations from 2007 to 2009. To determine the degree of persistence in the data for each station, stationarity and variability are investigated using unit-root tests and the test for equality of variance respectively. Results from the unit-root tests indicated that the hourly wind speed for each station exhibits stationarity. The test for equality of variance, based on Levene's test, shows that there exists a significant difference in the variability of wind speed between the different stations. Because the variance of the hourly wind speeds for the Chuping station is the smallest observed, the wind speed observed at this location is the most persistent compared to other locations. However, it is more meaningful to measure the persistence at a particular level of speed, one suitable to generate energy. Accordingly, the wind speed duration curve method is applied to the observed data for each station. Consequently, the wind speed at Mersing is found to be the most persistent, and, consequently, this location has the most potential for energy production compared to other locations. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.