National Wind Assessments, the wind resource analysis division of National Wind, will install a meteorological tower (met tower) in the Goodhue Wind footprint in February. A met tower measures wind speeds, wind direction, and other information about the air such as relative humidity and temperature.
The device used to measure wind data is called an anemometer, so you may also hear these towers referred to as “anemometer towers.” Information about wind speeds and wind direction is used to calculate how productive a wind farm will be; this information is crucial to every wind development.
“There is wind data about the general area that indicates that the Goodhue project has a good wind regime,” said Kevin Romuld, President of National Wind Assessments. “But on-site data collection is needed to assess the wind resource in more detail. These details will help us determine the best wind turbine locations in the project footprint.”
Due to seasonal differences, the new met tower will have to collect wind data for at least one year before the data can be used effectively. Erecting the met tower in a representative location this winter is therefore a high priority for Goodhue Wind.
