DNV GL and Leosphere, a Vaisala company, sign partnership to deliver cost and data benefits for wind energy

DNV GL and Leosphere, an organization, that manufacturers light detection and ranging (LiDAR) equipment, have today launched a strategic partnership to drive cost reduction, increase efficiency and assurance benefits for wind farms.

Coinciding with DNV GL’s Transition Faster Conference: Let's Talk Wind, which concludes today, the deal provides validated quality assurance for the WindCube®, one of the world’s most widely deployed LiDAR devices, following rigorous testing at DNV GL’s Hamburg and Janneby test sites in Germany, as well as factory validation tests.

WindCube measures wind speed and direction, which are essential for assessing and verifying the feasibility of new wind energy sites and capturing data from existing developments to maximize production and efficiencies.

DNV GL has played a major role in building confidence and enabling the adoption of LiDAR technology over the last 15 years, saving the sector millions of euros by replacing the need for costly meteorological masts, tall towers equipped with cup and sonic anemometers, which cost between a hundred thousand and one million euro to install.

Andreas Schröter, Executive Vice President Central Europe, Mediterranean and Latin America at DNV GL - Energy, said: “As part of our vision for a safe and sustainable future, we strive to achieve more in collaboration with others to speed up the energy transition. Having championed the sector’s move to LiDAR technology for many years, we are extremely pleased to enter into a partnership with one of the biggest LiDAR manufacturers to further validate and enable its use.”

“The partnership comes at an exciting time for the industry as advances are made towards the ‘living wind farm’ concept of increased digital and automated energy production.”

David Pepy, head of renewable energy business at Leosphere, added: “Our collaboration is set to increase LiDAR operational continuity and maximize uptime. It simplifies third-party validations, saving organizations time and money and empowering windfarm developers and operators to harness the power of wind energy more quickly, efficiently and affordably.”

DNV GL is the global leader in cross-industry collaboration projects, which produce recommended practices, qualification of new technologies or establishing industry standards. All of which improve industry performance and drive down costs.

The company's expertise spans onshore and offshore wind power, solar, conventional generation, transmission and distribution, smart grids, and sustainable energy use, as well as energy markets and regulations.