WindPole Ventures and AWS Truepower LLC recently announced plans to build a wind resource-monitoring network for Arkansas. The data collected will provide wind farm developers with a better understanding of the wind resources available and thus encourage development in the state, according to the companies.
A large portion of the funding for the network will be provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Arkansas Energy Office, a division of the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, awarded $364,000 in recovery funds and will oversee the project.
WindPole will collect wind data from existing communication towers that are 80-plus meters tall, the hub height of industry-standard wind turbines. Data to be collected include wind speed, direction, temperature and barometric pressure. Instrumentation specifications are guided by Annex G of IEC 61400-12-1 and AWS Truepower.
SOURCE: AWS Truepower LLC
