Winds of Change in Germany Naomi Stringfield Marketing Manager Published: Sep 27, 2016 Wind and Solar Energy In Germany, wind resource assessment and site evaluation are more important, and more challenging, than ever. Several factors are particularly significant: Legislation that will take effect next year in 2017 will result in wind projects being subject to a tendering process, replacing the feed-in tariff that is widely credited with the rapid growth in Germany’s wind industry since the 1990’s. Heightened competition via this tendering process increases the financial risk of energy uncertainty, making accurate energy assessments more critical than ever before. Continued improvements in turbine technology make it even more important to understand the wind resource at higher heights. TR-6 version 9, "Determination of Wind Potential and Energy Yield,” touched on a number of factors such as losses and uncertainty, but also tightened the requirements for long-term extrapolation in energy assessments and set stricter standards for use of met masts and remote sensing systems. This makes responsible measurement campaign design crucial. The very success of Germany’s wind industry means that new development efforts will now also take place in complex, forested, or near-to-urban locations, posing additional technical challenges. The next year will be an exciting time in Germany. From our office in Hamburg, Vaisala is pleased to help our customers revisit the classic approaches to wind resource assessment and measurement and explore next generation approaches that reduce uncertainty and improve overall profitability.
