Wind Resource Site Assessment: A Guide to Selecting Monitoring Equipment

The interest in harnessing wind energy is growing in the U.S. and around the world. Several trends and events are now converging that support such interest: a desire to lessen dependency on petroleum products; rising energy prices; and a recognition that environmentally sustainable building management practices can be both environmentally responsible and cost-saving. Building owners and managers can take steps toward the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Certification, and can take advantage of federal and state tax incentives that will help save money in the long run.

Whether the focus of a wind project is to supply power for greenhouses on a farm, or install turbines for larger-scale commercial energy supply, proper turbine siting is crucial for optimal performance and return on investment despite the scale of the project.

Once a site is determined to be an appropriate candidate for a wind turbine (through consultation of local and regional wind resource maps, meteorological data, and existing studies), a thorough, onsite wind assessment must be carried out that measures wind speed and direction at heights appropriate for the project and at locations suitable to represent the project. While appropriate permits and permissions are being obtained for the test site or sites, you will need to select monitoring equipment.

The intent of this paper is to provide project managers working on small- to moderate-scale wind energy projects with information about how data loggers fit into wind resource site assessment. This paper examines sensor, data logger, and communications options, with advice on what to look for in selecting such equipment. Then, you’ll find information about equipment mounting hardware to help ensure optimal performance during your project’s monitoring period. This information will help simplify the equipment-selection process, and help you save time and money for your site assessment project.