Due to the increased awareness of the dangers of global warming, businesses of all sizes are focusing on using renewable energy sources like wind energy. The wind turbines used for converting wind energy into electrical power are extremely expensive, so the business would like to ensure that they get the best returns for the money they invest. Though the turbine manufacturer will specify the rating of the turbine based on the design of the turbine and the components used, the actual power output will depend on the wind speed at the exact location where the turbine is installed.
The businesses planning to install the wind turbine can get wind related data for the area from the local meteorological department, yet this data will be compiled for the entire area. Hence the data may not be very accurate for the exact location where the turbine is being installed. So for accurate wind speed measurement it is advisable to install an automatic weather station at the place where the turbine will be installed for some time. Depending on whether the wind data is required in real time, or only the logged wind speed data is required, a suitable weather station can be selected.
Often the business will only want the logged data of the wind speed at a particular location. A staff will visit the location where the sensor assembly is installed occasionally to collect the information, which can be analyzed further. For this the LeWL Windlogger system is the most cost effective option for measuring the speed of the wind at any location. This wind-logger is weather proof, so no separate assembly is required. Often the wind speed will differ depending on the height, so this wind-logger allow the user to connect two different anemometers to log the data at different heights.
If real time wind speed data is required, the Davis Vantage Vue is the most preferred option for a weather station. The Vantage Vue has an integrated sensor suite (ISS) assembly which measures the wind speed, wind direction, temperature, humidity, pressure levels, rainfall. The wind speed and direction are sampled at every few seconds to get the more accurate data. The assembly is then connected to a console where the wind data is displayed in real time for processing using a wireless connection. Since the wind speed usually varies, the console will also display when the last gust of wind was recorded.
The console has a keyboard for adjusting the settings or alarms. It is possible to set an alarm to alert the user, if the wind speed will exceed a particular value. There is also a provision for logging the wind data so that it can be reviewed later. While the ISS assembly is weatherproof, the console and logger for display the weather data is not weatherproof. Hence a special weatherproof enclosure may be required for the logger and console if the weather station is not in a sheltered area. The electronics which are used in the ISS assembly are also sealed, so that they will not get corroded easily, even under hostile weather conditions.