The Effect of Atmospheric Conditions on Wind Plants

Conditions at wind plants can vary dramatically over short distances and times. There are large differences from day to night, as weather systems pass through the plant, and by season.

The issues

• What are the causes of changes in wind conditions across a wind plant, or with time?
• How do changing wind conditions impact plant performance?
• How can we plan for changing wind conditions?

Our Contributions

• Why Atmospheric Stability Matters in Wind Assessment. A white paper by Somnath Baidya Roy and Justin Sharp, published in North American Wind Power, January 2013
• How Turbulence Can Impact Power Performance. A white paper by Julie K. Lundquist and Andrew Clifton, published in North American Wind Power, September 2012.
• Wind Shear and Why It Matters. A white paper by Jeff Freedman and Kathy Moore, published in North American Wind Power, June 2012.