Wind as an alternative source of energy in Jordan

The interest and motivation for harnessing wind power have grown tremendously during the nineteen-eighties in many developed countries as a result of frequent energy crises on the one hand and persisting issues of environmental pollution on the other. These activities have stimulated at the same time, the scientific and research community in Jordan to launch a serious series of investigations into the reality of wind energy potentials in the country. This study examines in detail the plausibility of utilizing wind as an alternative source of energy in Jordan. The task is accomplished by reviewing the history of the measurements performed in the early days by the meteorological department up to full involvement by the Royal Scientific Society in 1981. This is followed by data evaluation and resource analysis, yielding a regional classification as a result of matching between the systems and the sites' power distribution. In addition, the cost of wind energy in Jordan Dinar per kWh is outlined for the various wind regions in order to show their cost-competitiveness with conventional power generation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.