The green potential of the San Pedro Mártir observatory

J. Bohigas¹ and J. M. Núñez¹

¹ Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. Postal 877, 22800 Ensenada, B. C., México. (jbb@astrosen.unam.mx, jnunez@astrosen.unam.mx).

Received 2009 September 17
Accepted 2009 November 23

RESUMEN

Se analizan observaciones meteorológicas realizadas entre octubre 2004 y julio 2008 en el Observatorio Astronómico Nacional de México (OAN). En abril, mayo y junio la humedad fue inferior a 55% casi 90% del tiempo. La velocidad del viento fue mayor durante la noche y disminuyó entre marzo y noviembre. Las variaciones nocturnas, diarias y anuales de temperatura fueron cercanas a 2, 6 y 16°C, respectivamente. La altura de escala para la función que relaciona la velocidad del viento con la altura sobre el suelo está entre 0.55 y 0.67 metros. La operación normal del OAN produjo algo más que 750 toneladas de CO al año, unas 3 veces más que las emitidas por una industria mediana típica del municipio de Ensenada, donde está ubicado el OAN. La energía eólica pudo ser utilizada para producir electricidad ~ 60% del tiempo, siendo más abundante durante la noche y en los meses de invierno y primavera temprana. La energía solar y eólica parece bastar para cubrir todas las necesidades energéticas del observatorio, cerca de 110 kWh, incluyendo transporte.

ABSTRACT

Weather observations carried out between October 2004 and July 2008 at the Mexican Observatorio Astronómico Nacional (OAN) are analyzed. Humidity in April, May and June was less than 55% nearly 90% of the time. Wind speed was larger at nightime and tended to decrease between March and November. Typical temperature variations during the night, for the entire day and for a whole year were about 2, 6 and 16° C, respectively. The scale height or roughness length for the function relating wind speed and height above ground is between 0.55 and 0.67 meters. Normal activities associated to OAN produced somewhat more than 750 tons of CO a year, roughly 3 times more than a typical mid–scale industry in the district of Ensenada, where OAN is located. Wind energy could have been extracted to produce electricity ~ 60% of the time, being more bountiful during the night and in the winter and early spring months. Solar and wind energy seem plentiful enough to supply the entire energy needs of the observatory, some 110 kWh including transportation.

Key Words: seeing — site testing.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This paper would have been impossible without the dedication, professionalism and generosity of the TMT and LSST site testing teams. We appreciate the cooperation of the technical and administrative staff of OAN, and in particular the labor of Tomás Calvario, Osiris Escoboza, Francisco Guillén and Francisco Lazo. Josué Carlos Avelar, Desiderio Carrasco and Marco Mostalac assisted us with valuable information regarding energy use at OAN. We also thank Dr. Thomas Schlatter for his guidance regarding water vapor saturation pressure algorithms. The paper was benefited by comments and suggestions made by an anonymous referee. Support from DGAPA–Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México project IN102607–3 is gratefully acknowledged.

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