Wind energy potential evaluation. case of study: Constantine, an Algerian Province

Modelling the variability of wind speed and direction is very useful for estimating the wind potential of a typical site. In this article, we present the results of a study on the wind regimes and the wind potential in Constantine. This work is based on hourly and daily meteorological observations of Constantine Airport Station for the period 2000–2015. The average annual wind speed at 10 m varied between 3.4 to 3.9 m/s and the potential of the wind ressource, estimated by Weibull’s law, varied from 53.5 to 71 W/m2. The seasonal variation of wind speed and wind intensity studied in this work is useful to know the wind behaviour and we can exploit it in the optimal selection of wind turbine generator suitable for this region