Second Wind and Wind Prospect have demonstrated the Triton Sonic Wind Profiler with remote wind sensing in the city of Cape Town, South Africa in early March 2011.
Targeted at wind power researchers, developers, financiers and technologists, the live demonstration involved real-time wind measurements and displayed Second Wind's web-based wind data application, the SkyServe.
Triton Wind Profiler
The Triton is a remote sensing system, which is accurate and can be installed easily. It provides autonomous operation and uses sound ranging and detection (sodar) technology to calculate wind in locations, which highly affect the performance of a wind turbine. It allows for greater accuracy in predicting annual energy production (AEP) by measuring the speed of the wind at the hub height of the turbine rotor or beyond.
Wind Prospect’s Business Development Manager in Africa, Chanda Kapande stated that the Triton will make a huge impact in the wind energy market of South Africa since it is a highly effective solution for gathering data and allows for swift decision making. The technology improves wind power operations and helps streamline the development processes.
The Triton was first installed in June last year and since then five more Tritons have been installed by Second Wind. SAWEA (South African Wind Energy Association) estimates that by 2025, South Africa’s wind resources are likely to cross 30 GW.