Macrositing
The development (site development and implementation) of a wind farm is an important process that includes the following stages:
On average, the development of a site can take 3 to 5 years.
Macro siting is the optimal placement of a wind turbines (WTGs) that will minimise the possible dimming effects of individual generators and make rational use of the area of the wind field with the possibility to choose the minimum allowable distance between the individual wind turbines.
Micro-siting of wind energy potential at an early stage of project development consists of modelling the wind field with respect to changes in wind characteristics with respect to the entire wind field.
When selecting a wind turbine, there are several key parameters to consider when calculating the total system:
The choice of wind turbine height and axis, rotor diameter and blade size is also important for maximum efficiency of the wind turbine.
In Ukraine, the tendency to increase the capacity of wind farms continues to grow. A higher capacity wind farm will generate more electricity and allow a rational use of the wind field area. The characteristics of the selected wind turbine will determine the level of detail of the study. For example, the proximity of the airport and its airways will need to be taken into account. The highest possible capacity will be determined by the wind speed.
MCL uses WindPro software that takes into account technological characteristics, wind statistics and topography. This makes it possible to select from a number of sites the best possible sites for the placement of the wind turbine in the wind field.
Prior to the start of construction also is carried out:
– Soil quality assessment;
– Annual surveys (monitoring) of flora and fauna in the area being considered for wind farm construction, which allows the results to be taken into account in the EIA report in the future;
– Assessment of the impact of the planned activities on the Natural Reserve Fund, Emerald Network, cultural heritage and eco-networks, and the availability of field protection lines.
Such recommendations are not universal and their application requires adaptation for each specific wind field. MCL specialists draw up a monitoring programme to carry out systematic and methodical surveys. During the first site visit, observation points and equipment locations are identified to maximise the implementation of the methodology recommendations. The results of the surveys reduce the environmental impact by identifying vulnerable features of the wind farm area and incorporating them into the macro-siting of the site.
The above mentioned must comply with all regulatory requirements.
Economic and technical aspects are influenced by quality certified wind measurement – attracting investment and financing of the project depends on the results of the wind measurement company and the macro-siting. Therefore, a properly prepared report is important.
With our team of specialist scientists, ecologists and engineers, our company allows us to carry out quality macro site assessments in conjunction with other services.