A reversal in global terrestrial stilling and its implications for wind energy production

Zhenzhong Zeng (), Alan D. Ziegler, Timothy Searchinger, Long Yang, Anping Chen, Kunlu Ju, Shilong Piao, Laurent Z. X. Li, Philippe Ciais, Deliang Chen, Junguo Liu, Cesar Azorin-Molina, Adrian Chappell, David Medvigy and Eric F. Wood
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Zhenzhong Zeng: Southern University of Science and Technology
Alan D. Ziegler: National University of Singapore
Timothy Searchinger: Princeton University
Long Yang: Nanjing University
Anping Chen: Colorado State University
Kunlu Ju: Tsinghua University
Shilong Piao: Peking University
Laurent Z. X. Li: Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Ecole Polytechnique
Philippe Ciais: Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, CEA CNRS UPSACLAY
Deliang Chen: University of Gothenburg
Junguo Liu: Southern University of Science and Technology
Cesar Azorin-Molina: University of Gothenburg
Adrian Chappell: Cardiff University
David Medvigy: University of Notre Dame
Eric F. Wood: Princeton University

Nature Climate Change, 2019, vol. 9, issue 12, 979-985

Abstract: Abstract Wind power, a rapidly growing alternative energy source, has been threatened by reductions in global average surface wind speed, which have been occurring over land since the 1980s, a phenomenon known as global terrestrial stilling. Here, we use wind data from in situ stations worldwide to show that the stilling reversed around 2010 and that global wind speeds over land have recovered. We illustrate that decadal-scale variations of near-surface wind are probably determined by internal decadal ocean–atmosphere oscillations, rather than by vegetation growth and/or urbanization as hypothesized previously. The strengthening has increased potential wind energy by 17 ± 2% for 2010 to 2017, boosting the US wind power capacity factor by ~2.5% and explains half the increase in the US wind capacity factor since 2010. In the longer term, the use of ocean–atmosphere oscillations to anticipate future wind speeds could allow optimization of turbines for expected speeds during their productive life spans.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41558-019-0622-6

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