Wind Farm Site Assessment & Resource Analysis

Lesson 1 • Atmospheric Boundary Layer Fundamentals

Introduces the structure of the lower atmosphere and how surface roughness affects wind. Provides the meteorological grounding needed for measurement and modeling chapters.

Lesson 2 • Wind Industry Structure and Stakeholders

Maps the roles of developers, utilities, financiers, and regulators in a wind project. Provides context for understanding why rigorous site assessment is commercially critical.

Lesson 3 • Wind Farm Project Lifecycle Overview

Traces a project from prospecting through decommissioning, highlighting decision gates. Orients students to where site assessment and resource analysis fit in the full timeline.

Lesson 1 • Met Mast Design and Installation

Covers lattice and tubular mast types, boom orientation, and grounding requirements. Ensures students can specify a mast configuration that minimizes flow distortion.

Lesson 2 • Measurement Campaign Planning

Defines campaign objectives, duration requirements, and sensor placement logic. Links measurement strategy directly to the uncertainty reduction goals of resource analysis.

Lesson 3 • Anemometry and Sensor Technologies

Compares cup, sonic, and propeller anemometers alongside temperature and pressure sensors. Students select appropriate instruments based on site conditions and accuracy requirements.

Lesson 4 • Data Acquisition and Quality Control

Explains data logger configuration, telemetry options, and systematic QC flagging procedures. Produces clean, auditable datasets ready for statistical analysis.

Lesson 1 • Extreme Wind Speed Analysis

Estimates extreme wind speeds using Gumbel and other return-period methods. Extreme wind values are required inputs for turbine structural design and site suitability.

Lesson 2 • Wind Shear and Vertical Extrapolation

Applies power law and logarithmic profiles to extrapolate hub-height wind speeds. Accurate vertical extrapolation directly reduces energy yield uncertainty.

Lesson 3 • Wind Speed Frequency Distributions

Fits Weibull and Rayleigh distributions to observed wind speed data. Frequency distributions are the core input for energy yield calculations in later chapters.

Lesson 4 • Turbulence Intensity Analysis

Quantifies turbulence intensity and its variation with wind speed and direction. Turbulence metrics feed directly into turbine load assessment and fatigue life estimation.

Lesson 1 • Climate Change Impacts on Wind Resource

Reviews projected shifts in wind regimes under climate scenarios and their long-term revenue implications. Prepares students to address climate risk in bankable assessment reports.

Lesson 2 • Reference Datasets and Reanalysis Products

Surveys ERA5, MERRA-2, and other reanalysis products as long-term reference sources. Students evaluate dataset suitability based on resolution, bias, and record length.

Lesson 3 • Measure-Correlate-Predict Methods

Applies linear regression, matrix, and variance-ratio MCP techniques to transfer long-term signals. MCP is the industry-standard approach for long-term wind speed correction.

Lesson 4 • Long-Term Correction Uncertainty

Quantifies uncertainty contributions from reference dataset choice, MCP method, and record length. Uncertainty estimates feed directly into the probabilistic energy yield framework.

Lesson 1 • Linearized Flow Models

Explains the WAsP and similar linearized model assumptions, strengths, and limitations. Linearized models remain the industry standard for moderately complex terrain.

Lesson 2 • CFD and Mesoscale Flow Models

Introduces Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes and mesoscale models for complex terrain. CFD methods address the limitations of linearized models in steep or forested sites.

Lesson 3 • Wind Resource Mapping

Generates spatial wind speed and power density maps from flow model outputs. Resource maps guide turbine micrositing and identify high-yield zones across the site.

Lesson 4 • Flow Model Uncertainty Assessment

Quantifies model-induced uncertainty through cross-validation and sensitivity testing. Flow model uncertainty is a major component of total energy yield uncertainty.

Lesson 1 • Wake Loss Uncertainty Quantification

Estimates uncertainty in wake loss calculations from model choice and input variability. Wake uncertainty is combined with resource uncertainty in the overall yield uncertainty budget.

Lesson 2 • Wake Physics and Deficit Mechanisms

Explains velocity deficit, added turbulence, and wake recovery in the near and far wake. Physical understanding of wakes is prerequisite to applying any wake model correctly.

Lesson 3 • External Wake and Cluster Effects

Addresses wakes from neighboring wind farms and large-scale wind farm cluster effects. External wakes can significantly reduce energy yield and must be included in assessments.

Lesson 4 • Engineering Wake Models

Covers Jensen, Bastankhah Gaussian, and Larsen wake models used in industry tools. Students select and apply appropriate models based on site complexity and data availability.

Lesson 1 • Probabilistic Exceedance Estimates

Converts the uncertainty budget into P50, P90, and P99 exceedance energy values. Exceedance estimates directly determine debt service coverage ratios in project finance models.

Lesson 2 • Loss Factor Identification and Quantification

Catalogs availability, electrical, curtailment, and environmental loss categories with typical ranges. Systematic loss accounting ensures net AEP reflects realistic operational conditions.

Lesson 3 • Net Energy Yield Calculation

Applies loss factors to gross AEP to derive net AEP for financial modeling. Net AEP is the primary deliverable used by lenders and equity investors to assess project viability.

Lesson 4 • Gross Energy Yield Calculation

Combines hub-height wind speed distributions with turbine power curves to compute gross AEP. Gross AEP is the starting point before applying any loss or uncertainty adjustments.

Lesson 1 • Continuous Improvement and Lessons Learned

Establishes a systematic process for capturing assessment errors and improving future methodologies. Continuous improvement is essential for maintaining competitiveness and reducing uncertainty.

Lesson 2 • Operational Performance Verification

Compares predicted AEP against measured operational output to validate assessment accuracy. Performance verification closes the feedback loop between assessment and real-world results.

Lesson 3 • Independent Technical Review Process

Explains how independent engineers audit assumptions, inputs, and calculations in a report. Students learn to anticipate reviewer questions and pre-empt common audit findings.

Lesson 4 • Bankability Standards and Requirements

Defines what lenders and independent engineers require from a wind resource assessment. Understanding bankability criteria shapes every methodological choice made in earlier chapters.