Wind turbine manufacturer Gamesa (GAM.MC) has launched a wind forecasting system, called the Mega system, to provide customers with detailed information on conditions at their wind farms.
Gamesa said it has spent more than seven years investing in wind pattern forecasting and wind farm output modelling systems to assist in comprehensive wind farm management.
Accurate assessment of conditions at wind farms helps to enhance turbines’ performance and ensure that the energy they generate is better integrated into electricity markets.
Gamesa’s Mega system allows subscribers to access seven-day forecasts for hourly wind conditions and wind farm output. The new service aims to mitigate both the financial and workforce risks associated with weather variations.
The service is accessible through a users-only website in Basic and Premium versions. The Basic option offers forecasts based on customized statistical meteorological modelling for each wind farm. The service includes maps with seven-day forecasts of wind and electricity output patterns, forecast trends and comparative analysis against hard data. This information is updated five times a day.
The Premium version builds on the Basic version with continual (hourly) updates via a real-time connection to wind farm data. By using short-term forecasting models, this system provides greater precision and enhanced assessment of likely conditions and output at wind farms, minimizing the risk of deviations between expected and actual generation.
Gamesa plans to add new features to the Mega service in the medium term, including precipitation, temperature and relative humidity forecasts.
Gamesa is the market leader in Spain and has installed over 16,000 megawatts (MW) of its main product lines in twenty countries on four continents. The company is also a significant wind farm developer with a portfolio of almost 23,000 MW of wind power in different stages throughout Europe, America and Asia.
The company has production centers located in Europe, Asia and North America with an international workforce of around 6,300 employees.
In May 2009, Gamesa competitor GE (NYSE: GE) announced a collaboration with WSI Corporation to develop wind forecasting tools.
Also, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) is testing the effectiveness of wind forecasting with utility Xcel Energy.
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