Wind Energy Assessment in Kisii County in Kenya

Energy is essential for support of human life. The advancement in technology has led to environmental pollution which has in turn led to climate change. The large gap between demand and supply of electricity, increasing cost of imported fossil fuels and worsening air pollution require an urgent search for energy sources that are cost effective, reliable and environmentally friendly. Wind energy is potentially attractive because of its low environmental impact and sustainability. The wind energy potential is not easily estimated because, contrary to solar energy, it depends on the site characteristics and topography as wind speeds are influenced strongly by local topographical features. The classification and characterization of an area as of high or low wind potential requires significant effort, as wind speed and direction present extreme transitions at most sites and demands detailed study of spatial and temporal variations of wind speed values therefore before determining the wind farm site, the daily and monthly mean wind speed, wind speed distributions as well as the wind power densities should be analyzed.