Comparison of Residential Wind and Solar Energy Generation in the Island of Puerto Rico

Abstract

In order to meet growing energy demands, the dependency on crude oil, coal and natural gas has increased in an effort to supply the world’s energy needs. This has created the need for using alternative energy sources for generating electricity. In Puerto Rico, there is a growing interest in renewable energy, particularly solar energy and wind energy. Renewable energy sources are a variable source of energy due to their dependency on natural resources. For this reason it is necessary to determine the feasibility of these projects. Wind speed and solar radiation data from CariCOOS, NOAA, the NRCS, the NSRDB and the LTER are analyzed in order to estimate yearly solar and wind energy generation on the island. Using this yearly estimate, an economic comparison between residential scale wind and solar projects is presented.