The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat’s wind and solar monitoring project is the main long-term data source for Rarotonga wind energy and is used to estimate wind regimes of other islands. At Ngatangila Point, Rarotonga, wind data recovery was 100% during two years of monitoring. The annual average wind speed was 5.5 m/s. The highest hourly and daily averages were 17.7 m/s and 14.0 m/s respectively. Correlations with a six-year average for Rarotonga airport indicate that long-term wind speeds could be about 5% higher than those measured, with a calculated annual average wind energy at 10 m of 180 W/m2 . A study in May 1999, using data from Ngatangila, estimated a wind speed of 6.1 m/s at 30 m. A subsequent Danish feasibility study in 1997 estimated annual average wind speeds in the range of 6.1–7.5 m/s (at 30 m), suitable for economic power generation. Additional wind energy measurement masts have been installed on Rarotonga and on the outer islands, on Atiu in 2010, for example. Source: IRENA Country Lighthouse Report.
Attached in this record are the following:
Forum for Energy and Development (FED) and the Government of Denmark supported a pre-feasibility study including a wind resource assessment for Rarotonga. Attached is the feasibility report from January 1998.
The SPC/Government of Australia/Government of France under the PREFACE project supported wind resource monitoring and assessment on Mangia island. The wind resource assessment from 2003 is attached.
2006 report from a wind resource assessment for Aitutaki supported by the Government of Australia
Wind resource assessment report from 2008 in Rarotonga, supported by the UNDP
Installation report from the wind resource monitoring in Atiu, supported by SPREP/UNDP/GEF under the PIGGAREP Project.
