SSE Renewables relies on DNV’s WindFarmer due to demonstrated proof of validation

Leading developer and operator of renewable energy, SSE Renewables, continues to rely on DNV’s WindFarmer.

WindFarmer: Analyst is a software tool for wind resource assessment that is based on DNV’s tried and tested methodologies, developed over many years in the wind industry. WindFarmer: Analyst is a complete tool for wind resource and energy production assessments, giving developers, planners and investors a reliable estimate of energy production for onshore and offshore projects. It provides models which are continuously validated against recent projects and helps increase the understanding of different options for wind farm design.

SSE Renewables is a major renewable energy provider in the UK and Ireland. The SSE Renewables Team Leader in Energy Analytics Onshore, John Cunningham, explains why the company recently made the shift to the latest software (WindFarmer: Analyst) from DNV. SSE Renewables had been using a legacy version of WindFarmer (version 5.3) for more than a decade, and when new capabilities were needed, they ran a thorough selection process to find the most suitable alternative.

From frequency domain analysis to time-series

“We looked at the prices and the possibilities of software with different functionalities,” says Cunningham. “We were seeing a move from frequency domain analysis toward time-series domain analysis, and also the need for more scripted processes. These things were on the capabilities list for WindFarmer: Analyst, and they were all positives for us,” he says.

Cunningham is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland and works closely with colleagues both in Dublin and in Glasgow. He is responsible for projects in Scotland.

“Project managers and financial analysts are not just looking at the lifetime P50 of projects anymore,” he says, citing the term for 50 percent probability that the project’s energy yield will equal or exceed the estimate. “They’re looking at when the energy is generated, they’re looking at that on a time-series basis now. One benefit from time-series analysis is the ability to look at losses and how different losses interact. It’s easier to make sure you’re not double-counting,” he says. “Frequency is not enough anymore. It has to be time-series.”

Validated results

The company looked at four or five different applications and shortlisted three. The main reasons WindFarmer: Analyst was chosen, was that it had the features, capabilities and right price, it was familiar to the users and crucially, it was the software with demonstrated proof of validation, which no other software could match. “Competitors we looked at were providing a lot of updates and they weren’t being properly validated. That was a risk,” Cunningham says.

Offshore Wind on ocean - WindFarmer - SSE Renewables

About SSE Renewables

SSE Renewables is a major renewable energy provider in the UK and Ireland. SSE Renewables provides energy needed today and is building a better world of energy for tomorrow through the world class operation, development and construction of renewable energy assets.

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