One of the most crucial issues for wind farm developers is the potential wind yield from their sites, an issue of significant importance in raising finance for developments and securing the future of a site.
Energy Consultancy, TNEI has expanded the range of technical Planning and Environmental services it offers by introducing wind resource assessments to its portfolio, a service that is already being well used by many of its clients.
By combining the expertise of two of its in-house Groups, TNEI can now provide detailed and accurate wind energy yield assessment reports including bankable P90 confidence level predictions for annual production. These can be compiled once sufficient data is available, usually after 12 months. This is a specific service clients will require when seeking finance for wind projects.
Analysts from TNEI’s Power Systems and Technology team have combined their expertise in numerical modelling and analysis of wind flow with colleagues in TNEI’s Planning and Environmental Group, who are specialists in wind farm planning and environmental assessments, to provide detailed and contextual wind resource assessments.
Working with leading software packages, Windfarmer, Windfarm and WAsP, TNEI has also created highly developed in-house software models to improve the technical analysis and data screening services it provides.
The team works on projects spanning the lifecyle of wind mast installations usually 12 months or more, collecting and analysing data as well as conducting rigorous screening for erroneous data. The team combine this data analysis work with site visits to provide a detailed framework for all wind resource reports.
Since launching the wind resource assessment service, TNEI has worked with Clients to provide detailed wind resource reports for a number of wind farm developments they are managing on behalf of Clients across the UK.
Commenting on the expansion of TNEI’s Planning and Environmental Group, Andy Edgar, Principal Consultant explained:
“TNEI understands the context in which wind farms are developed and can provide a comprehensive package of services from site finding through to environmental impact assessments. By teaming up with our in-house power systems specialists, who have extensive wind flow modelling and wind resource assessment expertise, we can now offer a new analytical resource that combines our understanding of wind farm planning constraints with expertise in numerical modelling, analysis and electrical grid connection.”
The team work closely to provide clients with monthly wind mast analysis reports documenting average wind speeds and the general resource picture at individual sites. The Planning and Environment team provide assistance with maps and layouts for six and twelve month energy yield analysis.
