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2003
Conference Paper
Titel
ISET-Wind-Index
Titel Supplements
Assement of the Annual Available Wind Energy
Abstract
Particularly in years with wind speeds that are clearly below average, dissatisfaction of operators and even liquidity problems are sparked through the unexpected low annual power production. An objective standard for the evaluation of the respective "wind year" is required for the internal estimation of the performance of wind farms, and for justification to share owners and banks. The annual wind conditions are composed from such a multitude of meteorological situations, differing from location to location, that the available wind energy at every individual location develops totally differently. A single code is therefore not sufficient to describe the "wind year" in Germany and, moreover, the evaluation of annual available wind energy must be carried out separately for the smallest areas possible. With the support of the Gothaer Rückversicherungen AG, a procedure has been developed at ISET which provides the proportion of the respective annual available wind energy, in relation to the long-term average available wind energy, for each 10 km x 10 km sized plan area in Germany. This amount, the ISET-Wind-Index, is founded on wind measurements at locations that are typical for wind energy use and therefore presents an objective standard. The measurement grid is part of the "Scientific Measurement and Evaluation Programme" (WMEP), which accompanies the "250 MW Wind" project of the German Federal Ministry for Economy and Labour. The ISET-Wind-Index, which will be regularly updated, provides an objective standard for the estimation of annual available wind energy and forms a basis for the development of an insurance product which safeguards against the risk of insolvency in particularly weak wind years.