New Decision-Support System Helps in Windmill Site Selection

Kansai Electric Power Co., a major power utility in Japan, and the Japan Weather Association have co-developed a windmill computer system called LAWEPS-Planner to support site selection of windpower generators. The JWA started selling the system on October 1, 2005.

The LAWEPS-Planner is a planning-support system to determine the optimal sites to install windmills in Japan, with its complex topography, and to predict wind conditions without having to make actual wind measurements. It is designed based on LAWEPS, or the Local Area Wind Energy Prediction System, a wind analysis system developed by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization and made available for the general public, together with the National Database of Meteorological Model Analysis.

When users input the locations of wind turbines, the system can indicate "wind shadows" where wind flow might be blocked by nearby windmills, as well as indicators to provide real-time information, including predicted power generation loss caused by interference among wind turbines, and potential output of the plant. Users refer to geographical information and color-coded wind scales displayed on a computer screen. They can simulate the positioning of windmills in several places to seek the optimal locations to effectively utilize the limited land area suitable for wind power generation.

With the system, windmill designers can easily examine the optimal power generation capacity per unit and appropriate number of wind turbines to be installed. It is also anticipated to be effective for project evaluation by calculating the expected power output and cost of power generation.

http://www.kepco.co.jp/english/index.html
http://www.jwa.or.jp/english

Posted: 2005/12/28 09:33:14 PM
Japanese version