First Wind has purchased a Wind Iris Lidar to optimise the performance of its wind turbines. First Wind wanted to improve the yaw alignment of an underperforming wind turbine to maximise its energy capture.
Analysis of the SCADA data, including measurements from a nearby met mast and the vane measurement from the wind turbine, was not enough to determine the correction needed. The Wind Iris collected wind speed and direction data ahead of the turbine for 30 days. Analysis showed an average yaw error of seven degrees. A correction factor was then applied to the yaw measurement and 15 additional days of measurement using the Wind Iris revealed that the yaw error had been eliminated. By eliminating the yaw error, the annual energy production (AEP) of the wind turbine increased by 1.8 per cent. This was calculated with a power curve estimation model using Wind Iris data, and it was also independently verified by comparing the relative increase in turbine production with nearby turbines that had not been optimized.
