Evaluation of the Environmental and Economic Performance of Wind Turbines in Regions with Different Climates

Abstract

The increasing utilization of limited energy resources, such as oil and gas, along with the depletion of their reserves, highlights the pressing need to shift towards sustainable and renewable sources of energy. Within this particular setting, wind energy presents itself as a notably dependable alternative for the production of power. This study examines the significant influence of climate change on the economic and environmental aspects of wind turbines using a complete numerical modeling approach implemented in MATLAB software. This study conducted a thorough analysis of four distinct places, each chosen to represent a significant meteorological climate, with the objective of evaluating the impact of climate change on wind turbine dynamics. The parameters under investigation were thoroughly analyzed through rigorous numerical modeling techniques. From an economic standpoint, the region characterized by a hot and humid environment has been identified as the most financially feasible in terms of energy production. This region has a levelized cost of $1.6 per kilowatt-hour of energy. In addition, the analysis considered the environmental aspect by utilizing the yard cycle evaluation approach, which took into account the carbon dioxide emissions during the whole lifecycle of the system. The pricing of these emissions was subsequently determined through the implementation of penalty regimes. The area characterized by a moderate and humid climate, with an annual carbon dioxide emission of only 169 kg (resulting in the lowest penalty loss of $3.02 per year), stood out as the most environmentally responsible option among the areas under investigation. This study highlights the urgent necessity of shifting towards renewable energy sources. Through a comprehensive analysis of various climates and their corresponding economic and environmental consequences, it becomes apparent that certain places, particularly those characterized by hot and humid conditions, provide highly favorable opportunities for the utilization of wind energy. The aforementioned findings highlight the significant significance of adopting renewable energy alternatives as a means to address the difficulties presented by climate change and the diminishing availability of fossil fuel supplies.