Northern Power Systems Purchases Wind Iris Lidar from Renewable NRG Systems To Validate Power Curves, Conduct Product Testing

Data collected by the Lidar will guide the manufacturer’s wind turbine design decisions.

Hinesburg, VT (PRWEB) - Renewable NRG Systems, a designer and manufacturer of decision support tools for the global renewable energy industry, has supplied a Wind Iris nacelle-mounted Lidar system to Northern Power Systems Corp. for the purpose of performing power curve testing and validation of the NPS 100 wind turbine platform. The Wind Iris will be used to measure the free stream wind speed ahead of the turbine, where the blocking effect is minimal.

The data compiled by the Wind Iris will allow NPS to determine the impact of different upgrades on wind turbine power performance. Additionally, it will enable the company to accurately characterize how the turbine anemometer and vane measurements are influenced by the rotation of the blades and the structure, known as the nacelle transfer function (NTF).

“We chose the Wind Iris because it is a flexible tool for measuring upstream wind speed,” said Chris McKay, director of product management at Northern Power Systems. “We can accurately verify the power curve of wind turbines without the additional cost and permitting challenges of installing a separate meteorological tower.”

NPS has deployed the Wind Iris on the Point Lookout project in Hempstead, NY, where one of the NPS 100’s is located. After testing is complete, NPS plans to redeploy the Wind Iris for product testing at additional sites, including Burke Mountain in East Burke, Vt., and Rock of Ages in Graniteville, Vt.

“With the Wind Iris, we’ll be able to quickly determine how the upgrade packages we are designing will affect performance,” noted McKay. “The hard data will show customers how they can benefit from those upgrades.”

Wind Iris is manufactured by Avent Lidar Technology, a joint venture between U.S.-based Renewable NRG Systems and France-based Leosphere. The first Lidar dedicated to turbine performance evaluation, it uses pulsed Lidar technology to measure horizontal wind speed and direction at distances of 40 to 400 meters upwind of the turbine. It has been specifically designed for repeat installations.

Learn more about Wind Iris at http://www.renewablenrgsystems.com/products/5977/wind-iris-lidar.aspx.

About Renewable NRG Systems
Renewable NRG Systems (formerly NRG Systems) is an independently owned company that designs and manufactures decision support tools for the renewable energy industry. The company’s expertise spans both resource assessment products and wind plant optimization equipment such as turbine control sensors, Lidar, and condition monitoring systems. Found on every continent in more than 150 countries, Renewable NRG Systems’ customers include electric utilities, renewable energy developers, turbine manufacturers, consultants, and research institutes. See the potential; visit http://www.renewableNRGsystems.com.

About Northern Power Systems
Northern Power Systems designs, manufactures, and sells wind turbines, and provides engineering development services and technology licenses for energy applications, into the global marketplace from its US headquarters and European offices.

• Northern Power Systems has almost 40 years’ experience in technologies and products generating renewable energy.
• Northern Power Systems currently manufactures the NPS™ 60 and NPS™ 100 turbines. With over 5 million run time hours across its global fleet, Northern Power wind turbines provide customers with clean, cost effective, reliable renewable energy.
• Patented next generation permanent magnet/direct drive (PM/DD) technology uses fewer moving parts, delivers higher energy capture, and provides increased reliability due to reduced maintenance and downtime.
• Northern Power Systems offers comprehensive in‐house development services, including systems level engineering, advanced drivetrains, power electronics, PM machine design, and remote monitoring systems to the energy industry.
• Some of the world’s largest manufacturers license the company’s next generation technology and IP for their utility and distributed wind products and markets.

To learn more about Northern Power Systems, please visit http://www.northernpower.com.