E x a m i n i n g P h y s i c a l a n d M e t a p h y s i c a l P e r f o r m a n c e
495
field of small wind systems. The British Wind Energy Association has taken a step
towards collecting this data, which would make it easier for people interested in a wind
turbine to choose according to their demands (Sinisa Stankovic et al. 2009). Though this
information is very useful, it gives data based on an ideal situation which might not be
the case in most sites due to inconsistencies in wind speed in addition to the
obstructions in an urban context.
ZEMCH109 Wind Turbine Physical Performance
Prior to the installation of wind turbine it is best advised to understand the potential of the
wind energy and the amount of power a particular wind turbine can produce with respect
to the site conditions. Devices like Power Predictor
TM
are available in the market and are
helpful in collecting crucial data on the wind speeds and direction (Figs.20 & 21). The
longer the data is collected, more reliable it becomes
.
The data from the device can be
uploaded to the website to read the fluctuations in the wind speeds and directions
through interactive graphs which would help understand the amount of energy and its
impact on the present bills. Even though these devices are readily available in the
market, the need to collect and monitor data for long timescales due to inconsistencies in
the wind speed all long the year stays as the drawback.
Figure 20: Power Predictor
TM
components
Potential for
solar energy
Wind direction
Wind speed
Store data to
a memory
