Wind Energy Resource Atlas of the Philippines - NREL

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Wind Energy Resource
Atlas of the Philippines
data files included vertical wind profiles, wind power roses that express the percentage of total
wind-power density by direction sector, and open-ocean wind power density. The vertical
profiles are broken down into 100-m intervals and centered every 100 m above sea level, except
for the lowest layer, which is at 50 meters.
The vertical profiles were carefully determined, based primarily on the upper-air data, and then
subjectively modified to derive the final profiles for 22 specific geographic zones. Wind roses
were developed to account for the effects of short-range (less than 10 km), medium-range (10–50
km), and long-range (>50 km) blocking of the ambient wind flow by terrain. For this analysis,
we incorporated the medium- and short-range blocking into one wind rose and the long-range
blocking into a second wind rose.
6.4 Mapping Regions
The Philippine archipelago is divided into 13 regions. These regions are presented in Figure 6-1.
The regions are:
1) Batanes and Babuyan
2) Northern Luzon
3) Central Luzon
4) Mindoro, Southern Luzon, Romblon, and Marinduque
5) Southeastern Luzon, Catanduanes, and Masbate
6) Samar and Leyte
7) Panay, Negros, Cebu, and Siquijor
8) Northern Mindanao and Bohol
9) Southern Mindanao
10) Western Mindanao and Basilan
11) Northern Palawan
12) Southern Palawan
13) Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi
6.5 Mapping Results
6.5.1 Batanes and Babuyan
This region is the northernmost land area in the Philippines and consists of eight large islands—
Itbayat, Batan, Sabtang, Babuyan, Calayan, Dalupiri, Fuga, and Camiguin—and numerous
smaller islands. There are areas with good-to-excellent wind resource on each of these islands for
both rural and utility-scale applications. Figures 6-2, 6-3, and 6-4 illustrate the significant
political features, topography, and potential wind resource of this region.
On Itbayat Island, the wind resource is rated excellent (500–700 W/m 2 ) at the northeast tip of the
island and good elsewhere. On Batan Island, there is an area of excellent resource at Rocavato
Point and the higher terrain on the south end of the island. Coastal areas along the southeast and
south end of the island are considered to have a good wind resource. The inland area at the north
end of the island, north and east of the town of Basco, is considered to have a poor wind resource.