Assessment of Renewable Energy Parameters and Identification of Micro-Climatic Zones Over UT-Ladakh

Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tackling climate change and energy needs heavily rely on the utilisation of solar and wind energy sources. This study evaluates wind and solar energy in UT-Ladakh, revealing significant potential in the western Himalayas. Wind power analysis shows high density in eastern Ladakh, notably in Rhongo, Chushul, Punguk, and Daulat-Beg-Oldi, with wind speeds of 3.5-5 m s<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-1</sup> for over 50 days annually and above 5 m s<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-1</sup> for 10-50 days. These areas also demonstrate a robust Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) efficiency of 255-275 W m<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">-2</sup>, suitable for solar energy generation. UT-Ladakh is divided into two microclimatic zones based on renewable energy availability: Zone 1, with scarce solar and wind energy, and Zone 2, with low availability. The study identifies Leh, Punguk, Chushul, Punguk, and Daulat-Beg-Oldi as optimal for solar and wind energy harvesting locations.