Natural Power has announced a new free web based service providing an estimation of wind flow complexity on potential wind farm sites. As potential development sites with simple, flat terrain become fewer and fewer, more and more projects are built in, or near, forests and complex terrain.
It is these complex flow sites that are often associated with harsh wind conditions likely to affect wind turbine performance. Natural Power has developed a complexity assessment applet that is freely available on the company’s website. In order to provide an estimation of flow complexity, the applet simply requires turbine locations, which can be uploaded as Google earth place marks, and a simple estimation of forest coverage in the area of interest. Natural Power’s applet then automatically computes a complexity index, taking into account topographic features and approximate land cover. The results can be visualised in a report that also summarises findings, recommendations and next steps for development.
It is these complex flow sites that are often associated with harsh wind conditions likely to affect wind turbine performance. Natural Power has developed a complexity assessment applet that is freely available on the company’s website. In order to provide an estimation of flow complexity, the applet simply requires turbine locations, which can be uploaded as Google earth place marks, and a simple estimation of forest coverage in the area of interest. Natural Power’s applet then automatically computes a complexity index, taking into account topographic features and approximate land cover. The results can be visualised in a report that also summarises findings, recommendations and next steps for development.