Wind characteristics on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico

Wind data was measured at a number of sites on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico over a 24 calendar-month time frame. The wind data gathered at four sites is envisaged to shed new light on the wind characteristics of this tropical island with an emphasis on the climate's suitability for wind energy technology applications. Characteristics such as the diurnal, monthly and annual wind speed are subjectively investigated to determine the sites' potential for further studies in the wind measurement field. Reasonable wind conditions for wind energy conversion system installation seem to exist in and around Aguadilla and Ponce. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.