Page 46 - North American Clean Energy September/October 2019 Issue

wind power
No Fear
Trusting remote sensors in wind farm prospecting
by Greg Shambo
met tower cost. As turbine rotor sweeps grow beyond 200 meters tall — larger than two football fields — met towers that don’t grow with the turbine height are unable
to deliver data with enough accuracy. Remote sensing using lidar is a proven technology that allows for more accurate and expansive measurements of wind in the prospecting phase.
Fears that stifle lidar adoption
Fear #1 — Bankability. Will banks consider data measured by lidar as reliable when financing a wind farm project? Leading independent bank engineers (IE) are familiar with remote sensing. Some have written specific guidelines for the classification of remote sensors available today. For example, some sensors are classified to be used as a stand-alone device (no other met tower is required during the measurement campaign), while others must be put next to a met tower first for calibration.
No matter which measurement technology is used, the data must
be considered. For example, if your
met tower was poorly sited, wasn’t maintained, or experienced extreme weather conditions, some (or all) of its data can't be used. Following these same considerations for lidar data makes it equally bankable to tower data. Work closely with your IE early in the process to
46
SEPTEMBER•OCTOBER2019 /// www.nacleanenergy.com
OUR INDUSTRY IS PRETTY RISK-AVERSE.
Some of us like to take things very slowly when it comes to embracing change in the wind farm development sector. For others, it’s all about change and innovation. Bigger and more efficient wind turbines added to our landscape every day harvest about 40 percent of the renewable energy used to create electricity in the U.S. However, when it comes to using remote sensors (e.g., lidar, which stands for light detection and ranging) to measure wind for future wind farms, we’ve been slow to adopt. We fear
the lack of data quality, or that the assessment from financial institutions might not be bankable. When it comes down to it, we fear dealing with a devil we don’t know. As the rest of the industry continues to grow, however, being comfortable with the status quo is no longer an option.
How is remote sensing used in prospecting?
An incredible amount of work goes into developing a wind
farm before the first turbine starts to produce energy. Wind measurement, or “prospecting”, is required for a minimum of one year before a development plan is approved. Developers must have accurate data from this process; it is the primary variable
in their bankable wind resource assessment, which is required
to attain project funding. Inaccurate wind measurement could limit the amount of revenue the wind farm produces. Based on Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) data, a 1 percent annual production increase at a typical wind farm can increase revenue by up to $500,000 per year. By reversing this EPRI data, one could surmise a similar decrease in revenue corresponding to the decrease in production.
For years, meteorological evaluation towers — commonly called met towers — have been the primary technology to conduct wind measurement. However, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates tower height. When that height exceeds 60 meters, the lighting and permitting that’s required significantly increases
SMART CHECK
SmartCheck
ACCURATE AND INCREDIBLY VERSATILE.
Compact, accurate, versatile – the new SmartCheck torque wrench tester gets right to the point. Experience the »Made in Germany« difference.
2017
Tel.:(+1) 262-583-4060 | [email protected]