OBJECTIVES

• A study of the geographical distribution of wind resources on a certain micro-location (topography, local wind flow, wind speed) must be conducted for the successful and economically justified operation of a wind farm. To acquire the characteristics of a certain micro-area, it is necessary to carry out measurements on a larger area. The initial measurement area is selected on the basis of the existent meteorological data. This area can be fairly large, even encompassing a whole state. The process of selecting the initial location is directed to the most appropriate areas, with regards to efficiency. The existent wind data and analyses of topographical maps can be of help in this. Throughout the measurement time, we monitor the data of certain points. If any of the measured areas’ data are particularly negative, we move the point to another location.
• To measure wind resources, a data-capture system is needed. This is an independent, autonomous, and affordable measuring point. It consists of watertight housing with an appropriate IP protection, CPU with a memory to store the measurements, communication (usually GPRS), sensor input, internal battery and a solar cell.
• The data-capture system provides advanced functionalities; it is easily installed in the field and is in a low-energy-consumption mode most of the time. The solar cell enables complete autonomy, meaning that the system can be installed in places with no external power supply. Captured data are stored in internal memory and sent to the collection centre at predefined time intervals. The data are sent with an internal GPRS modem. The internal battery enables the operation of the device, and is charged by the connected solar cell. The system thus enables continuous remote control of the device and the corresponding sensors.
• The main goal of the measurement is determining potential windy areas. The following useful data are also acquired with measurements: identification of potentially windy areas, shortlist of candidate areas and selection of actual locations for establishing measuring points.