Wind energy is one of the most basic forms of renewable energy,which shows an increasing rate of development worldwide and also at the European level.However,this rapid deployment of wind farms makes the need for an i...Wind energy is one of the most basic forms of renewable energy,which shows an increasing rate of development worldwide and also at the European level.However,this rapid deployment of wind farms makes the need for an impact assessment of this type of projects on the natural and man-made environment imperative.The present paper aims to identify and assess the environmental impacts of wind farm projects in the Region of Central Greece.A modified Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix(RIAM)method is used for this purpose.The methodology includes the identification of the existing onshore wind farm projects in the study area,the appropriate modifications of the RIAM method to respond to the characteristics of the projects and the study area,the qualitative assessment of their potential impacts during construction and operational phases and the computation of the Environmental Performance Grade(EPG)of projects based on the pro-posed modified RIAM method.The results reveal that although there are some slight negative impacts on the natural environment of the study area,the examined wind farms contribute positively both to the atmosphere and to the socio-economic environment of the study.This study extends the potential for using RIAM as a tool in environmental impact assessment studies of renewable energy projects.展开更多
This study employed the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) to prioritize the water resources management problems in the North Central Nigeria. This was done through the assessment of the status of water resources m...This study employed the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) to prioritize the water resources management problems in the North Central Nigeria. This was done through the assessment of the status of water resources management in the region, evaluation of existing policy and strategy of water management, identification of the management problems and the prioritization with RIAM. The stakeholders identified water resources management problems, ranked them in other of severity in different categories and also evaluated them using the RIAM techniques in the administered questionnaire. Eleven problems were analyzed based on the physical/chemical, biological/ecological, social/cultural and economic/operational factors using several impact indicators. Scores were assigned, the RIAM models applied and the averages taken to arrive at the final assessment scores. The two major water resources management problems identified are: 1) inadequate funds for further agricultural, hydroelectric, navigation and industrial development;2) poor data collection and banking. These problems were prioritized by RIAM in order of severity for urgent intervention. The RIAM technique has made a key contribution to the prioritization of water resources management by providing insights into urgent problems according to stakeholders and thus guides the policy maker in appropriate decision making.展开更多
In the present study, wind conditions were numerically predicted for the site of the Bolund hill using the RIAM-COMPACT natural terrain version software, which is based on an LES turbulence model (CFD). In addition, a...In the present study, wind conditions were numerically predicted for the site of the Bolund hill using the RIAM-COMPACT natural terrain version software, which is based on an LES turbulence model (CFD). In addition, airflow measurements were made using a split-fiber probe in the boundary layer wind tunnel. The characteristics of the airflow at and in the vicinity of the site of the Bolund Experiment were clarified. The study also examined the prediction accuracy of the LES turbulence simulations (CFD). The values of the streamwise (x) wind velocity predicted by the CFD model were generally in good agreement with those from the wind tunnel experiment at all points and heights examined, demonstrating the validity of CFD based on LES turbulence modeling.展开更多
文摘Wind energy is one of the most basic forms of renewable energy,which shows an increasing rate of development worldwide and also at the European level.However,this rapid deployment of wind farms makes the need for an impact assessment of this type of projects on the natural and man-made environment imperative.The present paper aims to identify and assess the environmental impacts of wind farm projects in the Region of Central Greece.A modified Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix(RIAM)method is used for this purpose.The methodology includes the identification of the existing onshore wind farm projects in the study area,the appropriate modifications of the RIAM method to respond to the characteristics of the projects and the study area,the qualitative assessment of their potential impacts during construction and operational phases and the computation of the Environmental Performance Grade(EPG)of projects based on the pro-posed modified RIAM method.The results reveal that although there are some slight negative impacts on the natural environment of the study area,the examined wind farms contribute positively both to the atmosphere and to the socio-economic environment of the study.This study extends the potential for using RIAM as a tool in environmental impact assessment studies of renewable energy projects.
文摘This study employed the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) to prioritize the water resources management problems in the North Central Nigeria. This was done through the assessment of the status of water resources management in the region, evaluation of existing policy and strategy of water management, identification of the management problems and the prioritization with RIAM. The stakeholders identified water resources management problems, ranked them in other of severity in different categories and also evaluated them using the RIAM techniques in the administered questionnaire. Eleven problems were analyzed based on the physical/chemical, biological/ecological, social/cultural and economic/operational factors using several impact indicators. Scores were assigned, the RIAM models applied and the averages taken to arrive at the final assessment scores. The two major water resources management problems identified are: 1) inadequate funds for further agricultural, hydroelectric, navigation and industrial development;2) poor data collection and banking. These problems were prioritized by RIAM in order of severity for urgent intervention. The RIAM technique has made a key contribution to the prioritization of water resources management by providing insights into urgent problems according to stakeholders and thus guides the policy maker in appropriate decision making.
文摘In the present study, wind conditions were numerically predicted for the site of the Bolund hill using the RIAM-COMPACT natural terrain version software, which is based on an LES turbulence model (CFD). In addition, airflow measurements were made using a split-fiber probe in the boundary layer wind tunnel. The characteristics of the airflow at and in the vicinity of the site of the Bolund Experiment were clarified. The study also examined the prediction accuracy of the LES turbulence simulations (CFD). The values of the streamwise (x) wind velocity predicted by the CFD model were generally in good agreement with those from the wind tunnel experiment at all points and heights examined, demonstrating the validity of CFD based on LES turbulence modeling.
