The existing wind potential areas in the former Yugoslav republics (Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia/Montenegro, Bosnia/Herzegovina and Macedonia) are mostly situated in karst regions with steep and cliffy rocks and complex terrain. The prevailing wind conditions at these sites are mainly caused by local wind systems generated by different levels in temperature and air pressure between the Adriatic Sea and the mainland of the bordering countries. Wind farm sites in these areas provide excellent conditions for wind energy utilisation, but also pose a major challenge to wind farm design and wind turbine technology due to extreme wind speeds, turbulences and wind shear.
Aim of the proposed R&D project is the performance of investigations at different locations in South East Europe, relating the mountainous and complex structure of terrain, the characterization of local wind systems like ‚Bora‘ and the more efficient and reliable operation of large scale wind turbine under this conditions.
Newly developed practices for measuring wind streams above complex terrain like LIDAR and tools for micro-scale simulation of wind flow will be applied and examined. For testing wind turbine performance three pilot turbine test sites were chosen, two in mountainous areas (Podvelez near Mostar, BH and Vlasina in SCG) and one coastal site (Rudine, HR). At each location one MW-scale wind turbine will be installed. At two project sites power curve measurements will be carried out in close cooperation with the turbine manufacturer with the aim of testing the suitability of the wind turbine under the specific conditions. The knowledge gained about the design parameters will be resumed in a Site Specific Certification for each investigated site. The building codes and related standards for wind turbine construction in Western Balkan countries will be evaluated and compared with European standards.