Having recently released the first version (1.0) of Windfarm Analyst for ArcGIS Pro, I’d like to highlight some of my favourite things in this new product – be sure to check them out after you have it installed in your ArcGIS Pro environment.
1 – Quickly estimate wind power potential
A wind power lease round or sale usually starts with the location of potential wind areas – in GIS terms this is often represented by a very basic dataset: just a simple outline of the area(s) available.
When doing this early planning you want to know what is the potential “energy prize” available for each area: specifically, how many turbines could you fit in those areas and then what is the potential maximum available power based on the wind conditions?
Calculating this quickly and easily enables wind teams to focus right away on the areas with the most potential.
The Windfarm Analyst Calculate Wind Potential tool does exactly this by taking into account input polygon layers plus wind conditions, turbine size and temporal parameters to calculate the potential power output for your input areas of interest.
2 – Create operational constraints models
Unfortunately, in real life, real conditions get in the way. It’s all very well knowing the maximum number of turbines, but what about the actual likely number of turbines given local factors such as seabed conditions, debris, wrecks, environmental sensitivities, subsurface factors or even other marine users. In other words, it is likely that there will be zones across your area(s) of interest where you cannot place a wind turbine, cable or other infrastructure asset.
In Windfarm Analyst you can use the Create Constraints Set tool to create “set-backs” for use in the windfarm planning tools. You can easily select multiple GIS layers containing potential constraint factors and specify buffer (“set-back”) distances to ensure that wind turbines and cables are modelled around constrained locations.
3 – Place turbines in optimal patterns
Once you have built your Constraints, you can use Windfarm Analyst’s Place Turbines tool to create multiple turbine location patterns in order to rapidly identify the most efficient pattern for exploiting the wind energy in your area of interest.
During the calculation of each iteration, advanced spatial analysis algorithms are used to place the turbines within the defined spacing, around constraints and any fixed locations such as pre-existing turbines or sub-stations and in an orientation to exploit the area’s dominant wind direction.
4 – Model wakes to QC your turbine patterns
Once you have a turbine pattern you like, use the Create Wake Model tool to model wake effects created by the pattern, using an industry standard wake model. Modelling the wake effects created by the turbines in a selected design patterns allows you to discover how the wakes affect operational power output. Modelling this early on in your planning allows you to iterate and compare patterns to optimise the layout for power generation.
5 – Optimize your cable arrays to save millions
Our Create Cable Arrays tool allows you to quickly generate cable arrays linking groups of turbines. Create loop or chain arrays and identify issues with routing around Constraints. You can also create true 3D distances by utilising raster grids, e.g. for bathymetry.
Optimising your cable routes using spatial analytics should help minimise the required cable lengths and provide considerable cost savings in array construction and maintenance. A saving of 3 km of cabling could result in build savings of around $3 million!
We hope you enjoy the new add-in – please let us know how you get on and we want you to tell us how to make the tools better, we love ideas and collaboration!
Posted by Rich Webb, GIS Software Product Manager, Exprodat
