Dunkelflaute is a German neologism that points to the Achilles heel of sustainable power production: times when the sun does not shine (Thinness) and the wind does not blow (Flaute). Where and when this phenomenon occurs is not always easy to predict. Researchers at the Carnegie Institution for Science in the United States have studied the Flaute. Based on historical weather data, it has been mapped which areas suffer most from periods of no wind.
If you want to install wind turbines, it is best to do so in a place where the wind blows hard, without too many seasonal differences, and where the weather is reasonably constant and predictable. Adding these factors together, the researchers come up with a list of areas most suitable for wind energy: the US Midwest, Australia, the Sahara, Argentina, Central Asia and Southern Africa. Here are the least wind droughts, or wind droughts: periods in which there is hardly any wind for a long time.
Northwestern Europe
Although the wind can be strong in this part of the world, high wind speeds are not a constant. Northwestern Europe has to deal with both a large variation in wind force throughout the year and an erratic weather pattern. This creates a high risk of wind droughts. Most recently, in the summer and fall of 2021, there was a long period of historically low wind speeds. This happened more on land than at sea, which led to increased construction in the Netherlands being pointed to as the culprit.
The research goes back to 1979. Over the past four decades, relatively many wind droughts appear to have occurred in our corner of the world. Wind droughts that were barely noticed at the time, but would have serious consequences for the current energy system. The fact that periods of little wind occur regularly increases the need for large batteries that store energy for a longer period of time.
Climate change?
The average wind speed in the Netherlands has decreased over the past 30 years. This does not have to do with climate change, but with the aforementioned increased construction: buildings have a braking effect on the wind. The effect of climate change on wind speeds is still poorly understood, the researchers say. However, there are indications that the wind may become stronger in Northern Europe by the end of the century.
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Tags: place wind farms necessarily Netherlands
