Generally, atmospheric mesoscale models are used as tools to perform wind atlases. In recent decades, significant efforts have been applied to the development and improvement of this kind of models to reduce their systematic errors. These ones are assessed when model results are compared with observations. In practice, such errors could be statistically corrected if observational data was available for the same area. A deviation matrix of the wind field between WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) mesoscale model and wind data retrieved from the QuiKSCAT satellite was obtained by the application of two statistical techniques – kriging interpolation and composite method. The spatial validation performance was evaluated with observational wind data from an anemometric mast installed on Berlengas islet since November 2006 to the present. The following are a preliminary assessment of the statistical methods as spatial validation techniques. These are a part of the spatial validation methodology to be used within the EU FP7 NORSEWInD project.

Being Portugal an extremely active country on the renewable energy area, one of technology niches experiencing a growing interest from investors and population in general are domestic micro-generation systems, especially when integrated in a building’s architecture. As a response to the expectations developed among domestic end-users of distributed renewablebased micro-generation systems, by the end of 2007, the Portuguese government published new legislation to regulate and clarify terms and tariffs for the installation of these small systems. To fulfill the needs of these users - essentially domestic and small and medium companies - INETI initiated the development of tools to characterize the wind resource in urban areas, the wind technological solutions adapted to urban environment – e.g. T.Urban small wind turbine - and tools to assess the viability of the micro-generation systems installation in buildings. This work presents and analyses scenarios for building energetic sustainability, by using a wind (SWT) system, a photovoltaic (PV) system and sizing a hybrid system (SWT+ PV) in a domestic building. Economic and energetic issues of the new legislation are presented and discussed. The results obtained demonstrate that it is very advantageous to become a microproducer in Portugal, if the region of interest is suitable for wind energy exploitation.

In this study a validation methodology for regional mesoscale model simulations when ingested with surface wind data inferred from satellite sources around Continental Portugal is evaluated. Observational wind data from a “quasi” offshore anemometric mast located in the Berlenga Island – near Peniche region – was used for the validation study. Satellite sources of wind data under assessment are the ones being used in the EC funded FP7 NORSEWInD project, such as the QuikSCAT and SAR. The validation study evolves 10 years of full wind data, starting in January 2000 to December 2009. The evaluation was performed in two different spatial validation approaches. Results from this study indicate that the wind satellite data has good quality to be assimilated on high resolution mesoscale model simulations particularly the ones concerned with long term behavior of the wind field near the coastal areas.

In this study a validation methodology for regional mesoscale model simulations when ingested with surface wind data inferred from satellite sources around Continental Portugal is evaluated. Observational wind data from a “quasi” offshore anemometric mast located in the Berlenga Island – near Peniche region – was used for the validation study. Satellite sources of wind data under assessment are the ones being used in the EC funded FP7 NORSEWInD project, such as the QuikSCAT and SAR. The validation study evolves 10 years of full wind data, starting in January 2000 to December 2009. The evaluation was performed in two different spatial validation approaches. Results from this study indicate that the wind satellite data has good quality to be assimilated on high resolution mesoscale model simulations particularly the ones concerned with long term behavior of the wind field near the coastal areas.

Os sistemas de microgeração domésticos que produzem energia a partir de fontes renováveis necessitam de legislação especifica e de ferramentas para identificar os potenciais e a viabilidade de implantação de soluções tecnológicas adaptadas ao ambiente urbano. Este artigo analisa exemplos de implementação de sistemas eólicos, fotovoltaicos e híbridos em uma edificação, debatendo questões económicas e energéticas.

Os sistemas de microgeração domésticos que produzem energia a partir de fontes renováveis necessitam de legislação especifica e de ferramentas para identificar os potenciais e a viabilidade de implantação de soluções tecnológicas adaptadas ao ambiente urbano. Este artigo analisa exemplos de implementação de sistemas eólicos, fotovoltaicos e híbridos em uma edificação, debatendo questões económicas e energéticas.

In Portugal, 2012 was an atypical year in Portugal with regards to energy. Due to the efficiency measures implemented in recent years, but also due to the economic recession, electricity consumption in Portugal dropped 3.6% to 49.1 TWh. This represents a reduction of 6% of electricity demand in the last two years (1). It was also an extremely dry year, the fifth driest hydro year of the past 80 years (63% below the normal climate). Therefore, due to the reduced hydro production, the renewable contribution for the energy mix decreased 17% compared to 2011.

A previsão do vento com exactidão é actualmente uma ferramenta necessário para a análise do potencial e estimativa de produção de energia eólica. Apesar do progresso significativo nos modelos de previsão meteorológica, os modelos apresentam erros sistemáticos que podem ser corrigidos com a aplicação de modelos estatísticos, lineares ou não, a partir das estatísticas acumuladas de um certo modelo de previsão. Esses modelos correctivos têm o nome genérico de MOS (Model Output Statistics) que têm como base o uso de regressões multilineares. Neste estudo, realizaram-se previsões MOS para as 24, 48 e 72 horas, para as componentes horizontais do vento, assim como, para o prazo de previsão de 36 horas, nas 61 estações da rede do Instituto de Meteorologia Português. Os resultados mostram uma melhoria do erro médio quadrático na ordem de 80% na previsão, sendo menos significativa com o aumento do prazo de previsão.

This study presents a new methodology for the assessment of the wind energy resource at deep offshore locations where the use of floating wind turbines is foreseen. The wind resource assessment methodology developed follows the principles used by IEC 61400-12-1 standard in general and proposes the use of experimental data from a floating light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system on a deep offshore region – that assumes the role of the ‘temporary mast’ – and a coastal meteorological mast installed onshore acting as the ‘permanent met mast’. The methodology takes into consideration the time shift between the locations of the two measurement points and the wind direction associated with different atmospheric phenomena. The results obtained conclude that the methodology increases the accuracy of the wind resource assessment campaign while reducing the involved costs and technical risks. An added advantage is the possibility of extending this methodology for the evaluation of the power performance of floating wind turbines during the operational phase of the power plant.