MEASNET

The European Commission's research directorate, DG XII, was busy promoting the "MEASNET" measurement network for "harmonised and recognised measurements in wind energy internationally," founded this year. MEASNET is a grouping of institutes able to "perform measurements [related to wind energy] of equal quality which are sufficient for mutual comparison and acceptance that is necessary in an open European market," says DG XII. The measurement network has grown out of work on European wind turbine standards, subsidised by DG XII over a number of years and carried out under the auspices of the European Renewable Energy Centers Agency (EUREC-Agency), which is a grouping of 38 institutions from EU countries. Measurements for which MEASNET can guarantee quality are: anemometer calibration, power performance, noise and power quality. MEASNET institutes are CIEMAT in Spain, CRES in Greece, DEWI in Germany, ECN in the Netherlands, the Risø National Laboratory in Denmark and WINDTEST Kaiser-Wilhelm-Koog of Germany. Organisations outside EUREC may join MEASNET as long as they are "independent of industry and fulfil the membership requirements."