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Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy

Operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC

This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy

Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

Improved Tools for Wind 

Resource Assessment with 

Remote Sensing Sodar Device

Cooperative Research and 

Development Final Report

CRADA Number: CRD-09-363

NREL Technical Contact: Andrew Clifton

CRADA Report

NREL/TP-5000-63752

February 2015
NOTICE

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Cover Photos: (left to right) photo by Pat Corkery, NREL 16416, photo from SunEdison, NREL 17423, photo by Pat Corkery, NREL 

16560, photo by Dennis Schroeder, NREL 17613, photo by Dean Armstrong, NREL 17436, photo by Pat Corkery, NREL 17721.

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This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

Cooperative Research and Development Final Report

In accordance with Requirements set forth in Article XI, A(3) of the CRADA document, this document is 

the final CRADA report, including a list of Subject Inventions, to be forwarded to the Office of Science 

and Technical Information as part of the commitment to the public to demonstrate results of federally 

funded research.

Parties to the Agreement: Second Wind, Inc.

CRADA Number: CRD-09-363

CRADA Title: Improved Tools for Wind Resource Assessment with Remote Sensing Sodar 

Device

Joint Work Statement Funding Table Showing DOE Commitment:

Estimated Costs NREL Shared Resources

Year 1 $ 52,800.00

Year 2 $ 65,000.00

Year 3 $ 50,000.00

TOTALS $ 167,800.00

Abstract of CRADA Work:

Under this Agreement, NREL will work with the participant to characterize wind resource assessment 

measurement systems needed for the design, construction, and integration of wind energy conversion 

systems to produce electricity for utility grid applications. This work includes, but is not limited to, 

research and development of hardware and software systems needed to advance wind energy resource 

assessment technology at speed and scale for use by electric utilities and wind power system integrators.

Summary of Research Results:

A Second Wind Triton sodar system was deployed at the National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) for 

testing. The sodar was compared to the meteorological towers at the NWTC. During the 2-year stay at the 

NWTC the sodar was upgraded and used to test new software and hardware. Data from the sodar was also 

used to support field campaigns at the NWTC, including the Turbine Wake and Inflow Characterization 

Study (TWICS) led by Prof. Julie Lundquist of NREL and the University of Colorado at Boulder, in 

collaboration with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the National Oceanographic and 

Atmospheric Administration. In addition, Vaisala (Second Wind) conducted internal instrument 

performance tests for environmental effects and signal characteristics utilizing the NWTC test tower data 

over the past three years.

Subject Inventions Listing: None

Report Date: 2/2/15
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This report is available at no cost from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) at www.nrel.gov/publications.

Responsible Technical Contact at Alliance/NREL

Andrew Clifton

Senior Engineer

National Wind Technology Center

Name and email address of POC at company:

barry.logue@vaisala.com

This document contains NO confidential, protectable, or proprietary information.