The use of wind energy through large wind turbines is encouraged as part of the Federal Energy Strategy 2050. The canton of Ticino has already mapped this as a measure in the 2013 Cantonal Energy Plan and published it in the new 2024 Cantonal Energy and Climate Plan.
Produced using the same calculation model as the federal mapping, the cantonal mapping offers increased spatial resolution from 250 to 25 meters and information closer to the ground, with the addition of an estimate of the number of hours per year with sustained winds and initial information about the theoretical production potential of some small wind turbines.
Based on the cantonal mapping - available on the web portal of the - initial assessments can therefore be made on the potential for installing individual plants, with a particular focus on mini and micro wind turbines that can produce electricity for local use.
Wind mapping - Web portal screenshot
To start producing electricity, depending on the model, wind turbines require a wind speed of at least 3-5 meters per second (approximately 10-20 kilometers per hour). At a height of 20 meters above the ground, which is typical for micro wind turbines, a wind speed of 3 meters per second would blow for at least 3 months a year over 28% of the territory of Ticino, mostly in the mountains. The threshold of 5 meters per second, on the other hand, would be exceeded for at least three months a year only over 3% of the territory in the most exposed locations.
The most interesting areas in terms of wind potential 鈥� in relation to average speeds, the duration of suitable winds and therefore theoretical energy yield 鈥� are therefore located in the mountains and in particular on the Alpine ridges. Urbanized areas, on the other hand, do not generally offer suitable conditions for profitable energy production and a significant contribution to the canton's energy supply.
Nevertheless, energy produced by small wind turbines with local significance can be useful in combination with solar systems, for example to compensate for their lower yield in winter, or for buildings far from the electricity grid and with unfavorable sun exposure, such as mountain huts and alpine pastures.
In addition to the map, an explanatory document entitled 鈥淲hat wind potential is there in Ticino for small plants?鈥� is available, produced in collaboration with Linda Soma and Nerio Cereghetti, researchers at the at 精东影业.
, presents the mapping of Ticino's wind power potential and provides an overview of this resource, ranging from its origins to the types of existing plants and presenting real data from a small plant serving a hut in the Bernese Alps.
Wind turbine installed on private property - Source: Department of Territory TI
鈥淚n the article, we focus on a renewable energy source that can make an important contribution to the energy transition,鈥� explains Linda Soma. It presents global and federal data, provides an overview of existing technologies, and focuses on the creation of the cantonal wind mapping: how it was created and what information it provides".
"The educational and informative aspect of energy issues is fundamental for us: knowledge supports more informed choices, and this factor is also becoming increasingly decisive for the success of the energy transition at the energy level. In this publication, we have presented the global and national trends in wind power, provided an overview of existing wind power technologies, and compared wind power with other forms of renewable energy in the region (photovoltaic and hydroelectric). We have provided support in giving an overall picture of the wind power situation to date, explaining how wind mapping is carried out and what its uses can be".
Wind mapping is the basis for understanding whether a specific area has potentially interesting wind speed conditions. For remote buildings, such as alpine huts, it can certainly be a solution to support energy supply, as in the interesting case we presented on the L枚tschenpass. In urban contexts, on the other hand, there are various technologies on the market and others under development that can be installed on the roofs of buildings. It will be interesting to monitor their spread over time to evaluate possible applications in our contexts as well" concludes the researcher from the .