Wind farm pre-development: sites, wind measurement, feasibility and more
Wind farm pre-development: we assess sites, wind conditions, nature conservation risks and feasibility before you commit larger funds.
At the start of every wind energy project is the question of where it can be realised. The GIS-based potential area analysis combines geodata, wind models and planning bases. The feasibility study with micrositing assesses all project-relevant factors with the EWS catalogue of criteria, from spatial planning to nature conservation topics. Micrositing fixes the positions of the individual turbines so that yield, distances, noise and nature conservation fit together. The wake of one turbine affects neighbouring turbines, so distances in a wind farm are not just a question of the available area.
For wind power, spatial planning is a matter for the provinces. The UVP-G 2000 provides that wind turbines are built primarily on areas designated for this purpose under planning law. Some provinces therefore set suitable or priority zones, others work with exclusion zones and blanket distances to settlements. Anyone who knows early which rules apply to a site avoids planning without prospect of implementation. From a certain project size, measured by capacity and number of turbines, an environmental impact assessment is also required; in particularly protected areas, lower thresholds apply. We support the EIA scoping procedure. In the permitting procedure, wind farms are linked with further topics, such as birds and bats, noise, shadow flicker and landscape. In pre-development these topics are assessed roughly and later backed with detailed surveys in preliminary design. The earlier an exclusion criterion is recognised, the less planning effort is lost.
For robust wind data we rely on wind measurement using mast, LiDAR or SoDAR. The mast measures the wind directly, LiDAR with laser light, SoDAR with sound. The standards for power performance measurements traditionally assume cup anemometers, so remote sensing devices must demonstrate that they match the mast values: they are compared with reference sensors on a mast at several heights, and the comparison yields corrections and an uncertainty estimate. Verification of the remote sensing devices thus secures the quality of the measurement data and with it of the later yield forecast. Measurement campaigns need lead time; an early start in pre-development pays off. Wind measurement is the basis for the wind assessment and the yield forecast on which financing and the investment decision rest. The more accurate the measurement, the smaller its contribution to the uncertainty of the forecast, which additionally includes long-term correlation and modelling.
A nature conservation pre-assessment shows early which risks the project carries. In addition, we analyse the load profile and present your wind project to municipalities and the public. The measurement data later also form the basis for site classification according to IEC 61400-1. The preliminary design follows. Anyone who wants to combine wind power with solar energy will find the photovoltaic side in pre-development for PV and preliminary design for PV.
