Assessing Wind Resource Potential in the Built Environment

This study addresses the issue of siting wind turbines on existing structures in the built environment for optimal performance. Annually averaged wind power maps were produced over the surface of two different building types using a Detached Eddy Simulation (DES) model in order to assess the feasibility of building integrated wind under various wind resource conditions. The modeling approach was first applied to a cubical geometry for which validation of the CFD results was possible with existing field measurements. A pitched roof building was also modeled to study the power density over top of typical residential shaped structures. The average annual power density for twenty-seven locations over the top of the modeled structures was analyzed under varying wind direction distributions (wind roses). The overall results of this study have the potential to inform the wind energy and built environment communities on best practices for siting wind turbines on or near buildings.