29 Apr 2026
| 29 Apr 2026
Assessing the performance of reanalysis and meso-scale model datasets for onshore wind power modelling in Germany
David Geiger
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Sustainable Electrical Energy Systems, University of Kassel, Wilhelmshöher Allee 73, 34121 Kassel, Germany
Fraunhofer IEE, Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology, Joseph-Beuys-Straße 8, 34117 Kassel, Germany
Christoph Zink
Fraunhofer IEE, Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology, Joseph-Beuys-Straße 8, 34117 Kassel, Germany
Franziska Bär
Deutscher Wetterdienst, Climate and Environment, Frankfurter Straße 135, 63067 Offenbach, Germany
Maximilian Pfennig
Fraunhofer IEE, Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology, Joseph-Beuys-Straße 8, 34117 Kassel, Germany
Doron Callies
Fraunhofer IEE, Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology, Joseph-Beuys-Straße 8, 34117 Kassel, Germany
Sustainable Electrical Energy Systems, University of Kassel, Wilhelmshöher Allee 73, 34121 Kassel, Germany
Carsten Pape
Fraunhofer IEE, Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology, Joseph-Beuys-Straße 8, 34117 Kassel, Germany
Jaqueline Drücke
Deutscher Wetterdienst, Climate and Environment, Frankfurter Straße 135, 63067 Offenbach, Germany
Lukas Pauscher
Sustainable Electrical Energy Systems, University of Kassel, Wilhelmshöher Allee 73, 34121 Kassel, Germany
Fraunhofer IEE, Fraunhofer Institute for Energy Economics and Energy System Technology, Joseph-Beuys-Straße 8, 34117 Kassel, Germany
Acoustics and Vibrations Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
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Short summary
In this paper we analyse the suitability of different reanalyses and meso-scale models for simulating wind energy in Germany. We found that all datasets overestimate energy production, with errors ranging from 5 % to 45 %. This suggests that the underlying models may not accurately reflect average wind conditions. CERRA and ERA5 performed the best, but they also require regional adjustment. Understanding the cause of these differences is crucial for improving weather and wind energy modelling.
In this paper we analyse the suitability of different reanalyses and meso-scale models for...
