Wind sensor increased turbine energy output by 12.3 per cent
Catch The Wind is making good on its Vindicator trial projects, including one wind-farm trial with the Nebraska Public Power District. The company said its laser wind sensor increased energy output on one turbine by an average of 12.3 per cent by allowing the blades and direction of the nacelle to be better aligned with oncoming wind and by being able to detect gusts in advance. You can read the full report here. Higher output means more revenues for the wind-farm operator. “We believe the incremental cash flows generated during the first 24 to 36 months are sufficient to payback the initial investment,” said president and CEO Phil Rogers. And that excludes any savings related to reduced maintenance over the life of the turbines.
The company has had some strong announcements recently, including a development partnership with Gamesa and a large trial with Canadian Hydro Developers, the largest wind operator in Canada.
Tags: Canadian Hydro Developers, Catch The Wind, Gamesa, Vindicator
Tyler Hamilton is associate publisher and editor-in-chief of Corporate Knights magazine and former business columnist for the Toronto Star. This blog is a personal project started in April 2005.
December 15th, 2009 at 6:03 am
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December 15th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
The study was about health impacts — are you suggesting flicker makes people sick? I agree it’s not a pleasant thing, but it’s also a short-term thing at a particular point in the day. It’s not an issue at night when people are sleeping, and I doubt it would last more than an hour — and then only on sunny days. Certainly, this is an issue that wind developers need to consider, but it’s not a showstopper for wind.
December 16th, 2009 at 4:03 am
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