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
497
alterations made and modified data is generated based on the existing collected data.
Unlike the general data on wind speeds which is available from the met office, this data
would be more reliable as it is collected directly on the site in the position where the wind
turbine would be installed. This data even accounts for the turbulence caused by the
obstructions in an urban context.
Figure 22- Wind data collected by Power Predictor
TM
(Power Predictor
2012)
The wind direction data can be used to choose the ideal orientation of the wind turbine. It
shows the percentage of particular direction of wind (i.e. East, 26.5%). The web based
software even gives an opportunity to check the finance reports of various wind turbines
and PV panels available in the market along with the payback periods of that particular
product (Fig.23). The energy produced by selected wind turbine would be configured
with the data collected. The feed in tariffs, amount of offset from the energy bills and net
gains of different products from different manufacturers can be analyzed to choose the
one that ideally fits the economic conditions. Though there are various consultancies in
the market that would help choose a product, power predictor helps eliminate the doubt
that a particular consultant might support specific manufacturer or product he is tied up
with. Data confidence is also shown, which is 41% in this case. If the data is collected for
a month, the data confidence would go beyond 50%. The longer the device collects the
data before making a decision, more reliable it will become.
