WIND RESOURCE ASSESSMENT HANDBOOK

1 Fundamentals for Conducting a Successful Monitoring Program WWIINNDD RREESSOOUURRCCEEAASSSSEESSSSMMEENNTT HHAANNDDBBOOOOKKP repared for: National Renewable energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, CO 80401 nrel Subcontract No. TAT-5-15283-01 Prepared By: AWS Scientific, Inc. CESTM, 251 Fuller Road Albany, NY 12203 1997 NOTICE: This document was prepared as an account of worksponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neitherthe United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any oftheir employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, orassumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy,completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product,or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringeprivately owned rights.

2 Reference herein to any specificcommercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark,manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or implyits endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United Statesgovernment or any agency thereof. The views and opinions ofauthors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those ofthe United States government or any agency thereof. Page iWind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT HandbookFOREWORDThe wind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT HANDBOOK was developed under National Renewable EnergyLaboratory ( nrel ) Subcontract No. TAT-5-15283-01. nrel is a national laboratory of the of energy managed by Midwest Research Institute under contract No.

3 Of the material presented in the HANDBOOK was originally compiled for the preparation ofthe U*WRAP HANDBOOK . This publication was written by AWS Scientific, Inc., in support of the UtilityWind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT Program (U*WRAP), and was distributed to interested utilities. The successof the U*WRAP HANDBOOK prompted requests from wind energy industry representatives that a similarhandbook be made available for the public domain. In response to these requests, nrel contracted withAWS Scientific, Inc. to write a wind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT HANDBOOK suitable for any organization orindividual desiring to conduct a formally structured wind measurement principal authors were Bruce H. Bailey and Scott L.

4 McDonald of AWS Scientific, authors were Daniel W. Bernadett, Michael J. Markus, and Kurt V. Elsholz, also of AWSS cientific, Inc. Page iiWind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT HandbookACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe approval process for this HANDBOOK included extensive peer review. The authors would liketo extend their appreciation to those who gave time and effort to review chapters and make invaluablesuggestions, thereby improving this document: Marc Schwartz, Dennis Elliott, Dave Blittersdorf, KenCohn, Rich Simon, Jack Kline, Vaughn Nelson, and Ken Starcher. Special thanks go to Donna Baker forproduction authors also express their appreciation to the following individuals for their support of theUtility wind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT Program: Ron Loose, Department of energy ; Bob Thresher, SueHock and Marc Schwartz, National Renewable energy Laboratory; Charles Linderman, Edison ElectricInstitute; Earl Davis, Electric Power Research Institute; and Robert Putnam, Electrotek Concepts, Inc.

5 Page iiiWind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT HandbookTABLE OF CONTENTSFOREWORDiACKNOWLEDGMENTSiiChapte r 1: OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERS1-2 Chapter 2: GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF A wind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT APPROACHES AND MEASUREMENT MONITORING QUALITY ASSURANCE MONITORING DURATION AND DATA RECOVERY2-3 Chapter 3: SITING OF MONITORING USE OF wind DATA TOPOGRAPHIC FIELD SURVEYS AND SITE TOWER LAND LEASING AND PERMITTING3-6 Chapter 4: MEASUREMENT BASIC OPTIONAL RECORDED PARAMETERS AND SAMPLING SUPPLEMENTAL PARAMETERS TO CLASSIFY wind energy SITES4-4 Chapter 5: MONITORING STATION BASIC OPTIONAL DATA DATA STORAGE DATA TRANSFER POWER TOWERS AND SENSOR SUPPORT GROUNDING AND LIGHTNING MEASUREMENT SYSTEM ACCURACY AND RELIABILITY5-11 Table of Contents Page ivWind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT HandbookChapter 6: INSTALLATION OF MONITORING EQUIPMENT EQUIPMENT ACCEPTANCE TESTING AND FIELD INSTALLATION DETERMINATION OF TRUE TOWER SENSOR AND EQUIPMENT SITE DOCUMENTATION6-10 Chapter 7.

6 STATION OPERATION AND SITE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT FUNCTIONAL SPARE PARTS INVENTORY7-5 Chapter 8: DATA COLLECTION AND RAW DATA DATA DATA RETRIEVAL DATA PROTECTION AND DOCUMENTATION8-4 Chapter 9: DATA VALIDATION, PROCESSING, AND DATA VALIDATION DATA PROCESSING AND QUALITY ASSURANCE REPORTING9-8 Chapter 10: COSTS AND LABOR REQUIREMENTS FOR A wind MONITORING COST AND LABOR STAFFING RECOMMENDATIONS10-2 Appendix A: wind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT EQUIPMENT VENDORSA-1 Appendix B: BIBLIOGRAPHYB-1 Page vWind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT HandbookLIST OF FIGURES,TABLES AND FORMSLIST OF FIGURESF igure : Obstruction Effects on Airflow3-6 Figure : Single Point Grounding System5-10 Figure : Map of Magnetic Declination6-4 Figure : Sample Installation6-7 Figure : Data Validation Flowchart9-1 LIST OF TABLEST able : Upper Limits for Classes of Mean wind Power Density3-2 Table : Basic Measurement Parameters4-1 Table : Optional Measurement Parameters4-2 Table : Basic and Optional Parameters4-3 Table : Specifications for Basic Sensors5-2 Table : Specifications for Optional Sensors5-4 Table : Data Storage Devices5-7 Table : Soil Type and Recommended Anchoring System6-5 Table : Card Storage Capacity in Days8-2 Table.

7 Sample Range Test Criteria9-3 Table : Sample Relational Test Criteria9-4 Table : Sample Trend Test Criteria9-4 Table : Sample Validation Codes9-5 Table : Sample Monthly Data Reporting9-6 Table : Labor Tasks to Account for When Budgeting10-1 LIST OF FORMSS ample Site Information Log6-11 Sample Site Visit Checklist7-6 Sample Site Data File Log8-5 Sample Site Data Validation Log9-9 Sample Monthly Data Reporting9-10 Sample Quality Assurance Report Form9-11 Page 1-1 wind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT HandbookChapter 1 INTRODUCTIONThis HANDBOOK presents industry-accepted guidelines for planning and conducting a windresource measurement program to support a wind energy feasibility initiative.

8 These guidelines, whichare detailed and highly technical, emphasize the tasks of selecting, installing, and operating windmeasurement equipment, as well as collecting and analyzing the associated data, once one or moremeasurement sites are located. The HANDBOOK s scope encompasses state-of-the-art measurement andanalysis techniques at multiple heights on tall towers ( , 50 m) for a measurement duration of at leastone year. These guidelines do not represent every possible method of conducting a quality windmeasurement program, but they address the most important elements based on field-proven intended audience for this HANDBOOK is any organization or individual who desires theplanning framework and detailed procedures for conducting a formally structured wind measurementprogram.

9 Personnel from the management level to field technicians will find this material applicable. Theorganizational aspects of a measurement program, including the setting of clear program objectives anddesigning commensurate measurement and quality assurance plans, all of which are essential to ensuringthe program s successful outcome, are emphasized. Considerable attention is also given to the details ofactually conducting the measurement program in its many aspects, from selecting instrumentation thatmeets minimum performance standards to analyzing and reporting on the collected predecessor of and motivation for this HANDBOOK was a similar document the U*WRAPH andbook developed in 1995 for the Utility wind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT Program (U*WRAP).

10 This program was initiated by the Department of energy and is administered by the Utility WindInterest Group, Inc., to technically and financially support utilities that conduct wind resourceassessments. The goal of U*WRAP is to increase the quality and quantity of wind data available toutilities, thereby improving their ability to evaluate and integrate wind energy as an electric generationtechnology. By establishing standard measurement procedures, this program is compiling high-qualitydata sets, which enable utility participants to evaluate RESOURCE -related wind energy feasibility issuesamong a large number of dispersed sites. With the present HANDBOOK , the non-utility entity can achievesimilar RESOURCE AssessmentHandbookFundamentals for Conductinga Successful Monitoring ProgramChapter 1 IntroductionPage 1-2 wind RESOURCE ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW OF CHAPTERSThe HANDBOOK contains 10 chapters and an appendix.