Where the wind blows

How good is Switzerland as a windy country? Where does the wind blow so strong and consistently that it can be used to produce electricity? This is shown by the new Wind Atlas 2019, which was compiled on the basis of the latest wind measurement data in Switzerland.

As early as 2016, the Swiss Federal Office of Energy published a wind atlas for Switzerland. The latest edition from 2019 shows slightly lower wind speeds in most regions - the spatial distribution of wind resources, on the other hand, remains virtually unchanged. For the Wind Atlas 2019, data from 396 local and long-term wind measurements were used - four times more than in 2016. Accordingly, the data from the Wind Atlas 2019 are more precise.

It includes wind speed maps for five different heights (50, 75, 100, 125 and 150 metres above ground). In addition to the mean wind speed, it also includes the wind direction and the skinniness of the wind speeds. The wind atlas is intended to serve cantons and private companies as a basis for the possible planning of wind power plants.

Although Switzerland is not a typical wind country, the construction of wind power plants is attractive in certain locations. Although these plants do not deliver predictable energy, they are able to generate relatively large power volumes with modern facilities at cost-effective prices. Suitable sites for wind plants are located in the Jura Mountains, in the Prealps and Alps, and in western Central Switzerland.

• Here's the data in detail for you to have a look at yourself
• And this is how it looks with the Lutersarni wind turbine from CKW