Science Offers Insight on Wind Energy Feasibility
…from Electric Light & Power magazine…
“Our development teams include meteorologists, engineers, environmental-permitting staff and land agents,” said Tyler Hoffbuhr, a geographic information system (GIS) analyst with Iberdrola Renewables, the largest developer of wind power in the world.
“GIS enables developers of wind-power facilities to reach their goal of finding the best wind areas while causing as little impact as possible to wildlife and the environment,” said Bill Meehan, director of utility solutions at ESRI. “Locating the right site can be done quickly and accurately with publicly available data and GIS technology. This fact alone speaks well for the future of wind power and green energy.”
Once a wind farm is running, operators continue to use GIS to help gather inspection and operational data. Because wind energy is variable, utility companies must figure out what to do when the wind does not blow. With GIS technology, operators can model and predict how well the wind will perform in the next few hours or days and accurately match energy production with demand.
I am glad that GIS enables developers of wind-power facilities to reach their goal of finding the best wind areas while causing as little impact as possible to wildlife and the environment.