Catch The Wind Presents Field Trial Data Collected From LWS

Catch the Wind Ltd. has delivered a summary report of data collected from its Vindicator laser wind sensor (LWS) field trials and customer evaluation programs.

Specific energy output data collected over a span of 11 months indicated that the Vindicator LWS consistently generated 14% increased energy output as compared to periods when the legacy wind direction inputs were utilized, with optimization experiments showing increased energy output in excess of 20%.

‘Given the economics of typical North American power purchase agreements, the Vindicator will deliver payback on investment within 12 to 24 months, depending on turbine size, and help wind farm owners and operators maximize their revenue and profit potential,’ says Phil Rogers, president and CEO of Catch the Wind.

The Vindicator LWS was installed on five turbines ranging in size from 1.3 MW to more than 2 MW. In one field trial, the sensor generated an average energy output increase of 14% on a 1.65 MW turbine over 11 months. Using a more optimized control algorithm, the sensor generated an energy output increase of greater than 20% on the same 1.65 MW turbine, according to the data.

The Vindicator LWS also generated an average energy output increase of 11.1% on a 1.3 MW turbine in a separate evaluation program. The increases in energy production were due to improved pointing accuracy and increased large-scale wind gust detection resulting from wind direction inputs measured by the sensor, according to the company.

SOURCE: Catch the Wind Ltd.