The newly released windTrends Bulletin reviews US and European wind patterns from the second quarter of 2010, revealing that the majority of Europe experienced below-mean wind speeds. Based on AWS Truepower’s windTrends data set and other climatological wind data, the analysis showed average wind speeds over parts of the UK during the past year have been at or close to historical lows. Conversely, factors in the US like shifting storm tracks, and a weakening of El Nino and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) event, caused noticeably intensified domestic wind speeds across much of the Western US compared to the first quarter of 2010.
“In particular, wind farms in the Western US and Southern Great Plains experienced an improved wind resource during the month of April and during May nearly all areas west of the Rockies experienced above normal wind speeds,” said Michael Brower, Chief Technical Officer at AWS Truepower. “These positive wind speeds, however, were not enough to balance the negative wind speed anomalies present throughout much of the US during the 12 months ending June 30, 2010. This one-year period is sharply different than the previous year ending June 30, 2009 or Q2 2009, when over 90 percent of the US experienced at or above average wind speeds.”
AWS Truepower’s windTrends Bulletin “hind cast” provides wind farm owners, investors and financiers with detailed maps that clearly display wind anomalies and climatic fluctuations, caused by El Niño and other climate patterns, and explain where and how they impact specific US and European geographies. While Europe experienced lower than normal wind speeds in the second quarter, Northern Europe was most affected with below-normal winds for the year.
“Our windTrends dataset to give us important reference points not just across North America and Europe, but internationally as well,” said Bruce Bailey, President and CEO at AWS Truepower. “For our expansive customer base of wind project developers and stakeholders around the world, AWS Truepower provides rich wind trend information, which is key to objectively evaluating project risk, performance and profitability potential. Especially in the current financing climate, it is of critical importance that siting, design, performance evaluation and due diligence efforts incorporate accurate historical data to support the success of a wind power portfolio.”
Data for this analysis came from AWS Truepower’s windTrends product, a validated database of weather conditions dating back to 1997. windTrends provides a weather snapshot at multiple heights above ground for every hour.