The Global Wind Atlas (GWA) provides global data sets of wind resource data, accounting for high-resolution topography and using a unified and documented methodology. The atlas was specifically designed for wind power planning and modelling on national, regional and global scales.
The validation of the GWA has taken place at about 100 sites worldwide, where high-quality masts have been in operation for up to 13 years. The validation shows that GWA on average provides a reliable picture of the wind climate and wind resources for both onshore and offshore conditions, and therefore fulfils its intended role.
The spreads of GWA-based predictions of wind speed, power density and yields are significant, so single predictions may deviate significantly and the atlas cannot be used for accurate prediction of specific wind turbines and wind farms. However, it can be used for project preparation and design of measurement campaigns. In addition to the maps, graphics and data served at the atlas web site www.globalwindatlas.com, the atlas also provides generalised wind climates for direct application using WAsP.
The validation further shows that GWA predictions may be strongly biased in complex and steep topography, and in flows with strong mesoscale forcing. No simple correlation was found between prediction statistics and length of observed time-series.
A presentation of the validation of the Global Wind Atlas is available from DTU Orbit.