Conducted at the ECN Wind Turbine Test Site-Wieringermeer (EWTW), the ECN study compared
data from a Triton to data from a 100-meter tall meteorological tower instrumented with
anemometers and wind vanes at four different heights. The study compared measurements of
wind speed and direction, as well as wind shear profiles, vertical wind speeds, and turbulence
intensity.
"The Triton can be considered valid as a stand-alone system for wind resource assessments,
especially given the industry's tendency towards higher hub heights," wrote the report's
authors. The report also highlights:
- Triton's "excellent operational availability of 98.85% during the test period"
- Triton's low maintenance requirements. "There has been no need for any service visits
to the Triton over the past 5 months it is running at the EWTW test site."
- Triton's good performance at heights above 100 meters. "The wind speeds measured
with the Triton above 100 meters are credible in comparison with the meteorological
mast."
"Given the wind industry's tendency toward taller turbines, it is important that wind
instruments be able to accurately measure wind at higher heights. The Triton performed well
when tested in comparison with anemometers, the industry's standard," said Henk Oostrum,
ECN's Head of the Group Experiments & Measurements.
"ECN is an internationally respected research laboratory with a long history of research in the
wind energy industry and we were pleased to work with them on this project. This study is
important because it provides independent verification of the results we have obtained through
dozens of our own correlation studies," says Larry Letteney, CEO.
The three-month study, conducted last summer on a wind turbine test station at the
independent national laboratory, concluded a year of travel for Second Wind's demonstration
Triton unit. The unit used in the study had been installed at outdoor demonstrations at over 20
separate sites in four countries and covered over 7,500 road miles in an open trailer prior to its
installation at Wieringermeer.
Said Walter Sass, Second Wind's executive chairman and CTO, "The fact that we selected a
field-proven unit for this test underscores our confidence in Triton's durability and reliability.
ECN didn't know they were getting our highest-mileage unit, but the results of the study speak
for themselves."
In addition to the high marks the report authors gave to Triton's data, the study also noted that
the Triton "is extremely easy to install and to collect data from."
About ECN
The Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands - the leading Dutch energy innovation institute
-- develops high-quality knowledge and technology for the transition to sustainable energy
management. And ECN introduces this knowledge and technology to the market. ECN's focus is
on energy conservation, sustainable energy and an efficient and clean use of fossil fuels.
About Second Wind Inc.
Second Wind Inc. is a leader in wind measurement and wind information technology. Founded
in 1980, Second Wind advances the use of wind data to make wind energy more profitable for
owners, painless for operators and practical for consumers. Key products include: Nomad® wind
data logger and tower systems; Triton® sodar systems; and SkyServe® satellite wind data
service. Second Wind is headquartered in Somerville, Massachusetts, USA, and is privately
held. For more information on the Triton sonic wind profiler and Second Wind's other products,
visit www.secondwind.com.
About Second Wind's Triton
Second Wind's Triton is a ground-based remote sensing system that uses sodar to measure
wind up to and above the 140-meter blade tip height of current utility-grade wind turbines.
Designed for wind energy applications including wind resource assessment, micro-siting of wind
turbines and ongoing monitoring of wind conditions on working wind farms, Triton has been in
commercial use since April 2008.
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