Estimating the spatial distribution of high altitude wind energy potential in Southeast Europe

High altitude winds are considered to be, together with solar energy, the most promising renewable energy source in the future. Till date, there are no yet solutions available on the market but various concepts for utilizing high altitude winds are under research and are expected to be fully operational within next few years. In this paper, the potential of high altitude wind energy will be investigated for the SEE (Southeast Europe) region and mapped using available data and technologies. The data available from NCEP/DOE analysis will be used in terms of obtaining the high altitude wind speeds for the span of 30 years, from 1980 to 2010, which are then processed for easier visualization. The obtained data is plotted against the available geographic data which could limit the positioning of the system (settlements, traffic ... ). The result of this work will display the "optimal" locations for these kinds of facilities for the Southeast Europe region. Such map could be beneficial for all future plans of utilizing this high altitude winds as a power source. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.