Urban roughness mapping tool: approaches and validation

Recent studies over forested areas show that an automated tool for estimating roughness based on remotely-sensed land cover products allows more accurate estimates of AEP than using traditional land data sources, i.e. GLOBCOVER, CORINE and MODIS. The goal of this work is to improve the tool extending its use for the complex urban structure, which affects downwind areas potentially suitable for wind turbines location.

Here, we report recent achievements in developing an urban roughness mapping tool which computes aerodynamic roughness parameters from cadastral databases. Furthermore, we use vertical wind profiles measurements from a wind LIDAR and a tall meteorological tower to estimate roughness length in an urbanised area and a rural coastal site, respectively.

The consistency of the roughness from wind profiles at the two sites opens perspectives for validating the cadaster method and more in general for siting of wind turbines.