###### Abstract  
Puna Island, located in the Pacific Ocean off the southern coast of Ecuador, has a population of approximately 3344 inhabitants. However, not all inhabitants have access to electricity, which is largely supplied by diesel generators. Therefore, to identify a renewable, sustainable, environmentally friendly and low-cost alternative, a 40-m-high anemometer tower was installed for wind resource assessment and to determine the possibility of generating electricity from wind energy. Based on mathematical models for electricity generation from wind energy, data were analyzed using the software Windographer and WAsP, to determine a long-term wind speed of 4.8 m/s and a mean wind power density of 272 W/m\({}^{2}\). By simulating the use of a 3.3-MW wind turbine, we demonstrated that as much as 800 kWh could be generated during the hours when the wind reaches its highest speed. In addition to demonstrating the technical feasibility of meeting the electricity demands of Puna Island through wind power, this study exemplifies a method that can be used for wind resource assessment in any location. renewable energy; wind energy potential; electricity generation; wind turbines +
Footnote †: journal: Applied Mechanics and Physics Letters  
_Applied Mechanics and Physics Letters_  
According to the latest census conducted in 2010, the island has a population of approximately 3344 inhabitants, divided into 22 human settlements or precincts. Only 50.78% of the population has completed primary education, and the illiteracy rate is 11.73%. Although part of the population of Puna Island has access to piped water, the island lacks basic services: drinking water (when necessary, drinking water is transported from the mainland to the island), sewage treatment, a sanitary landfill, a hospital, and access roads in satisfactory conditions. The local electricity company supplies electricity to 66% of the population through three generators with a total power of 2.2 MW, whereas 20% of the inhabitants have their own electric generator. Water pumps used in shrimp ponds are the predominant energy demand of the island, which is met using diesel generators (over 200 HP). Currently, approximately 80% of the population is engaged in activities related to shrimp farming, fishing, forestry, agriculture, and animal husbandry. Other economic activities include tourism, commerce, and construction. Despite the wealth generated from shrimp farming, the economic benefits are not invested in the island because the owners of the shrimp ponds are neither native to nor residents of the island. In addition, oil spills, exhaust gas emissions, garbage, plastic waste washed ashore, domestic sewage discharges, and shrimp farms cause pollution. This environment of unmet needs not only prevents economic growth but also causes migration, in the absence of the necessary conditions for development, thereby aggravating the island's problems [4, 5]. One of the primary factors for the development of towns and their economic growth is the availability of energy resources that supply the electricity necessary for society's activities in the 21 st century [6, 7]. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to determine the wind energy potential to generate the electricity Puna Island requires for its sustainable development. Furthermore, this study aims to apply existing knowledge of wind resource assessment in a manner that may be replicated in any location. The remaining manuscript is organized as follows: the method, materials, and costs of this research are described in Section 2; and some theoretical foundations of electricity generation from wind