technology & renewables
DESCRIPTION
Technology & Renewables. Modeling, Analysis, and Risk Assessment Kansas Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Conference September 26, 2007 Topeka, Kansas Grant Brohm – [email protected]. WindLogics Background. Founded 1989 - supercomputing background - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Modeling, Analysis,Modeling, Analysis,andand
Risk AssessmentRisk Assessment
Kansas Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Conference
September 26, 2007Topeka, Kansas
Grant Brohm – [email protected]
Technology & RenewablesTechnology & Renewables
WindLogics BackgroundWindLogics Background
Founded 1989 - supercomputing background
Atmospheric modeling and visualization US Air Force Operational Weather Squadrons Israeli Air Force Operational Forecasting System Harvard University Air Quality Modeling DOE Real-time Wind Field Monitoring NASA Meteorological Data Assimilation
Experience in fine-scale forecasting systems
Applied these advanced modeling and analysis
technologies to wind energy since 2002
Subsidiary of FPL Energy since September 2006
WindLogics TodayWindLogics Today
46 people focused on 3 things:46 people focused on 3 things:1. Wind Resource – over 700 studies
completed2. Wind Variability – 40-year analysis standard3. Wind Forecasting – currently ~5000 MW
Grand Rapids Sciences CenterGrand Rapids Sciences Center Ph.D. atmospheric sciences team for R&D 150 processors & 36 terabytes of storage Data center with NOAAport Satellite System
Saint Paul Operations CenterSaint Paul Operations Center Meteorology and GIS production, Sales,
Operations 400 processors & 90 terabytes of storage Data center with NOAAport Satellite System
Solar Radiation
Moisture Fluxes
Turbulence
Evaporation
Convection
Condensation
SurfaceHeat
Atmospheric ComplexityAtmospheric ComplexityThe atmosphere is a dynamic and complex space…The atmosphere is a dynamic and complex space…
Example - Patterns over the Example - Patterns over the DayDay
Complexity of Wind EnergyComplexity of Wind Energy
Location & terrain make big difference
Power in the wind is proportional to the cube of wind speed, so great value in optimizing location, layout & height
Many characteristics to consider Shear (speed increase with height)
Diurnal & seasonal patterns
Long-term interannual variability
Planning, financing & operating issues
A large investment with a 25-year timeline
Variability on many time scales
Implications for utility operations
Integrated Wind Integrated Wind UnderstandingUnderstanding
Taking advantage of all available data:
1. Meteorological tower data and other on-site weather measurements
2. Use best available “gridded” archives of real weather data from government agencies
– Actual recorded weather data from many sources– Typically used to initialize weather forecast models
3. Add the best available high-resolution topography and land cover information
4. Properly apply meteorological models and wind field models - integrating data over space and time
5. Analyze long-term variation and the financial impact on your specific situation
6. Use wind forecasting to minimize cost and operating impacts & maximize revenues
Solar Radiation
Moisture Fluxes
Turbulence
Evaporation
Convection
Condensation
SurfaceHeat
The atmosphere is so complex… So how does this work?The atmosphere is so complex… So how does this work?
Atmospheric ComplexityAtmospheric Complexity
Gridded 3D Weather DataGridded 3D Weather Data
Over 160 weather variables collected from:
• Surface / METAR station data• Oceanographic buoys• Ship reports• Aircraft (over 14,000 ACARS/day)• NOAA 405 MHz profilers• Boundary-layer (915 MHz) profilers• Rawinsondes (balloon soundings)• Reconnaissance dropwinsonde• RASS virtual temperatures• SSM/I precipitable water• GPS total precipitable water• GOES precipitable water• GOES cloud-top pressure• GOES high-density vis. cloud drift wind• GOES IR cloud drift winds• GOES cloud drift winds• VAD winds: WSR-88D NEXRAD radars
Integrates all available data sources, from the surface to the upper atmosphere, into a unified and physically consistent state of all grid cells at a given point in time.
Meteorological ModelsMeteorological Models
Numerical gridded representation of the laws of physics
Conservation relations Mass Energy Momentum Water, etc.
Physical processes Radiation Turbulence Soil/ocean interactions, etc.
Use lots of fast computers Partial differential equations Gridpoint difference values Step all points through time
using very small steps (a few seconds per step)
Wind vectors at 90 m and precipitation rate on outer grid at 6 Wind vectors at 90 m and precipitation rate on outer grid at 6 hr/sechr/sec
March 2003
Month of March 2003 Note the Historic Front
Range snow storm (March 17-19, 2003)
Modeling from Weather Data Modeling from Weather Data ArchivesArchives
Results over Large AreasResults over Large Areas
Example showing wind speed in color, wind direction as streamlines.
Data Sources:Data Sources:• WindLogics Archive• Local Test Towers• Hi-Res. Terrain / Land Cover
Process:Process:• Detailed Windfield Modeling
Result: Result: • 30 meter grid • 50 meter hub height
30m Grid (5x6 km)
Understanding Project Sites in Understanding Project Sites in DetailDetail
Production estimate in GWh per year at multiple Production estimate in GWh per year at multiple heightsheights
80m Height80m Height
30m Grid (5x6 km)
50m Height50m Height
30m Grid (5x6 km)
Gross Annual ProductionGross Annual Production
Variability over YearsVariability over Years
(Annual Energy - 1972–2002)(Annual Energy - 1972–2002)
Long-Term Wind Speed Long-Term Wind Speed VariationsVariations
A fairly low variability site, Annual Std. Dev. ~ 3.5% – yet thechoice of 8-year period can affect energy projection by ~20%
Site Assessment ResultsSite Assessment Results
Understanding the resource, variability & riskUnderstanding the resource, variability & risk
ConclusionsConclusions
Benefits of Modeling? Allows us to determine wind regime (and its drivers) over project area Can be completed faster than traditional measurement (4-6 weeks) Best if modeling is integrated with met tower or other on-site data Provides a method for moving more efficiently through development cycle
Important Risk Analysis Components? Wind resource analysis should incorporate long-term data for meaningful
correlation and prediction Potential climate cycles and trends should be identified Long-term data needed for more accurate P-values (sensitivity)
Key Concepts? Need understanding of long-term wind variability profile to best anticipate
wind farm production Best to use integrated approach (models, met towers, archived data,
multiple correlation techniques) for most error-proof expected wind production baseline
Time series showing forecast with wind speed and cloud
cover
Grant Brohm, Sales651.556.4279
www.WindLogics.com
WindLogics Inc.WindLogics Inc.