Feasibility of micro-scale wind turbines in ontario

Wind energy production is constrained by certain environmental factors such as local wind regimes, and by socio-economic variables. Much of the wind energy produced in Ontario comes from utility-scale turbines and micro-scale turbines contribute less than 8 GWh/annum in Ontario with fewer than 3000 units existing across Canada. With plans to increase the small wind turbine industry in Canada, it is important to assess the viability of this technology both spatially and temporally. Using field data collected from two small wind turbines (<30 m) at the Kortright Centre for Conservation, and the integration of turbine data with the North American Regional Reanalysis dataset, an assessment of wind regimes and turbine output was conducted in this study for Ontario. Results indicate that small turbines will be most feasible at the 30 m hub height in regions with proximity to the Great Lakes and northern regions near James Bay.