India onshore wind energy atlas accounting for altitude and land use restrictions and co-located solar
Anna-Katharina von Krauland, Mark Z. Jacobson
Abstract
India faces the simultaneous challenges of meeting rising energy demand and reducing carbon emissions. To address these, India must transition to renewable energy sources. This study provides high-resolution maps that quantify available areas for wind farms, accounting for wind speeds at multiple altitudes between 100 and 200 m and excluding infrastructure, sensitive land use, and unsuitable terrain. Results indicate that, with wind speeds greater than 5 m/s at 150 m above ground level, 23% (∼750,300 km 2 ) of India's land area is available. This equates to ∼18,300 TWh/y produced using modern wind turbines, more than twice that needed to meet India's 2050 energy demand upon electrification of all energy. In addition, 117,700 TWh/y of solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind resources are available when the two are co-located. This atlas can facilitate strategic site selection, reducing time, cost, and uncertainty in the renewable energy development process in India.