Weather patterns and crucially wind speeds underpin the success for this type of renewable energy – and the Met Office understands that the accuracy and reliability of wind resource assessments has never been of greater importance.

This will be demonstrated by Dr Clive Wilson, Met Office mesoscale model development and diagnostics scientist, at the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) annual conference in Copenhagen. His presentation ’Improved Wind Resource Site-Screening and Planning‘ will demonstrate the key developments and improvements that have been made through modelling capability to increase the accuracy in outputs from the Met Office’s long-term wind assessment solution; Virtual Met MastTM.

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) annual conference is considered to be Europe’s premier wind energy event. Held in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 16-19 April, it expects to attract an audience of over 10,000 wind energy professionals from around the world.

Accurately modelling the wind in three dimensions is vital for producing a well informed assessment of a site’s potential wind resource. Many years of research and development at the Met Office has resulted in high quality archives of simulated wind data.

Ricky Wong, Met Office numerical modelling expert, will also be presenting at EWEA 2012 on how the accuracy of these archived wind data can be further improved using the Met Office’s high-resolution dynamical downscaling technique to allow for local terrain and land use around the site.

Ricky said: “This new downscaling technique can be applied to almost any potential wind resource site. By using it energy providers can easily benefit from the Met Office’s commitment to maintaining world-class science in its numerical models in a relatively cost effective way. ”

Meanwhile in Glasgow, Scotland, on 17-18 April RenewableUK International Small and Medium Wind conference is dedicated to wind generating projects of up to 500kW.

Here, Malcolm Lee, Weather Consultancy Manager at the Met Office, will explain how the Met Office science behind Virtual Met MastTM, can help prove or disprove the financial viability of a project in his presentation ‘Solving Small and Medium Wind Problems Using Weather Forecast Model Archives’.

The Met Office offers a range of innovative products aimed directly at the renewable energy sector throughout each stage of the wind energy lifecycle, including: 

  • Virtual Met Mast™, the site-specific wind analysis model-based tool designed to provide fast and accurate wind farm site screening.
  • VisualEyes™, an intuitive, web-based weather system designed in conjunction with the industry to help manage wind farm assets.
  • The Wind Production Forecast - a new site specific forecasting service for wind farms and wind energy production, designed to help generators make accurate short-term assessments of power production.

For further information contact Met Office Press Office +44 (0)1392 886655 or e-mail: pressoffice@metoffice.gov.uk

Notes to editors 

  • The Met Office is theUK’s National Weather Service, providing 24x7 world-renowned scientific excellence in weather, climate and environmental forecasts and severe weather warnings for the protection of life and property.
  • EWEA 2012 at theBellaCenter, Center Boulevard 5,Copenhagen– Met Office staff will be at stand C4-C34 within halls 1-4.
  • RenewableUK International Small and Medium Wind at the Glasgow Science Centre, Pacific Quay – Met Office staff will be at stand 19.
  • Presentations at EWEA 2012 are:
    • Clive Wilson, ‘ Improved wind resource site screening and planning’;
    • Ricky Wong, ‘High-resolution dynamical downscaling techniques for wind resource assessment’;
    • Graeme Candish (to be presented by Nick Law), ‘Interannual variation from observations and numerical weather analyses’.
  • Presentation at RenewableUK International Small and Medium Wind:
    • Malcolm Lee, ‘’Small and Medium Wind Problems Using Weather Forecast Model Archives’.