Articles | Volume 15, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-1385-2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-15-1385-2024
Research article
 | 
08 Nov 2024
Research article |  | 08 Nov 2024

Extrapolation is not enough: impacts of extreme land use change on wind profiles and wind energy according to regional climate models

Jan Wohland, Peter Hoffmann, Daniela C. A. Lima, Marcus Breil, Olivier Asselin, and Diana Rechid

Model code and software

Code underlying analysis Jan Wohland https://github.com/jwohland/lucas_3dwinds

Download
Short summary
We evaluate how winds change when humans grow or cut down forests. Our analysis draws from climate model simulations with extreme scenarios where Europe is either fully forested or covered with grass. We find that the effect of land use change on wind energy is very important: wind energy potentials are twice as high above grass as compared to forest in some locations. Our results imply that wind profile changes should be better incorporated in climate change assessments for wind energy.
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint