Wind Measurement Knowledge

From Design up to Running and Best Performance

In order to design a profitable wind farm, the local wind conditions are measured to perform a de-tailed wind site assessment. Once the wind farm is set up and running, its best performance has to be ensured.

Thus wind measurement does not stop with connecting the wind farm to the grid.

The profitability of the wind turbines has to be monitored and the wind farm needs to be controlled, e.g., by implementing SCADA systems.

Appropriate Measurement Equipment

The construction of a profitable wind farm requires the most accurate and reliable wind measure-ment technology. The choice of appropriate measurement equipment and its correct installation are crucial. Measuring equipment must perform as precisely as possible to ensure the quality of data essential for producing accurate wind site assessments.

A small discrepancy of even 3% in the evaluation of wind speed data drastically multiplies during assessment calculations and results in a loss of seven digit economic figures.

Compared to the costs for the construction of a new wind farm, the costs for a high standard measuring system are minimal.

Energy Yield Forecasts

Feasibility studies and wind site assessment are the basis for the financial decision to build a wind farm. Energy yield forecasts ensure that the wind farm will be profitable. To create those studies, a wind measurement campaign has to be performed and the site for the wind farm has to be ana-lyzed in detail.

Measurement campaigns usually last for at least twelve months, during which wind measurement data is continuously gathered at regular intervals without interruption. Afterwards the measure-ment data is processed and evaluated and then compared to long-term meteorological data, e.g., data from adjacent weather stations, to assess whether the site will be suitable for the erection of a wind farm.

Global Wind Atlas

The Global Wind Atlas provides wind data, which can be used to pre-scan a region for wind resources. The platform does not replace a proper wind resource assessment campaign at the planed site for a wind farm. more