Red Rock Installs 60-foot Meteorological Tower
National Wind Assessments, the wind resource analysis division of National Wind, installed Red Rock Wind Energy’s first 60 meter meteorological (met) tower in October 2008 to collect wind data for a minimum of one year’s time.
A met tower is a multi-instrument device which records wind speeds, wind direction, temperature, and air density over time, leading to a complete depiction of the wind attributes of a project site. A minimum of one year of continuous, on-site, wind data is needed for effective site evaluation and wind turbine placement. An accurate wind speed and energy assessment is the fundamental foundation for project planning, development and financing for any wind project.
“Based on our preliminary wind resource analysis for Red Rock Wind Energy and some of the initial data collected from the new met tower, the project site has some of the best wind speeds in the country,” says Kevin Romuld, President of National Wind Assessments. “More on-site wind data will be acquired throughout the year, to account for seasonal changes, but the results thus far indicate an excellent wind regime. The 60 meter data will definitely assist in providing the most precise annual energy production estimates. The more accurate and complete the information is, the more interested utility companies will be in buying electricity from our project.”
Red Wind Energy also has a wealth of existing, nearby on-site wind data. For Red Rock Wind Energy’s preliminary wind resource analysis, National Wind Assessments collected data from 4 meteorological towers within the area that are owned and operated by the North Star Wind Farms. The four towers are located in Emmet and Dickinson Counties, Iowa. This long-term existing data helps provide a comprehensive energy calculation for Red Rock Wind Energy’s new layout.
