UK - Technology helps plot wind farms

Canterbury University has come up with a new system which makes it quicker and cheaper to work out the best locations for wind farms. And with companies looking for alternatives to hydro power, the timing couldn't be better. Many believe wind turbines are the power source of the future, but finding the right site for a wind farm currently involves time-consuming research. Blair Walter from engineering consultancy Connell Wagner says traditionally "you put up masts and you wait one to two years to get a good assessment of the site." Now staff at Canterbury University reckon they have got a better way using technology and international weather data.

Professor Andy Sturman says the data is run through a computer and combined with the local topography to give wind direction, strength and variability. He says the wind modelling system quickly identifies the best locations and is a system outside experts are keen to use commercially. Walter says it allows them to shorten the development cycle for wind farms and make sure they are located in the right places. "Basically we can save them money, that's the bottom line," says Sturman. While some still believe on-site monitoring is best, the university is hoping computer modelling will make it quicker and easier to get wind farms up and running.