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Environmental information systems
The wind’s influence spans the full range of human activities. Mean wind speed is a particularly relevant indicator for the wind energy sector, because even small changes can have considerable effects on renewable energy production and the industries and populations that depend on it.
Key messages
Annual mean wind speed is generally higher in northern Europe and along coastlines than in southern Europe and inland.
There is no firm evidence from past data or model projections of major changes in mean wind speed, although the latest data hint at moderately decreasing wind speeds in southern and northern Europe.
Mean wind speed
Definition
The mean wind speed index is a base index representing the average values of wind speed at 10-m height over relatively long timescales (e.g. seasonally or annually).
Index factsheet (ETC/CCA Technical Paper): Mean wind speed
Relevance
This index is particularly relevant for wind power production. While wind speed at 100 m (i.e. near turbine height) would be more relevant for wind power generation, this value is not generally available from measurements and climate model projections. Therefore, 10-m wind speed is generally used as a proxy to assess suitability for wind power.
Past and projected changes
Annual mean wind speed is generally higher in northern Europe and along coastlines than in southern Europe and inland. Neither the reanalysis data from the past nor the CMIP5 model projections underlying the figures presented here show robust changes in mean wind speed, whereas the more recent CMIP6 projections underlying the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Sixth Assessment Report suggest that wind speeds are likely to decrease in southern and northern Europe (Coppola et al., 2021: Assessment of the European climate projections as simulated by the large EURO-CORDEX regional and global climate model ensemble; IPCC, 2021: Climate change information for regional impact and for risk assessment)
Annual mean wind speed for the European land area and sub-regions
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