Posters

Abstract

Accurate turbulence intensity (TI) assessment is critical for Wind & Site assessment, load assessment and bankability of wind farm projects. While remote sensing devices (RSDs) are increasingly used in wind resource assessment, broader adoption still requires the application of turbulence-intensity calibration algorithms and a standardized acceptance framework for evaluating lidar to cup equivalency. Several initiatives have contributed to progress in this area, including CFARS, which concluded in 2022. Among its contributions is the development of TACT, a software tool that supports turbulence-intensity alignment between lidar- and cup-based measurements. In recent past, TACT has been restructured from a research-focused codebase into a open-source Python software package to facilitate collaborative TI investigations across the industry. This work presents an application of the new revision to the TACT tool, to systematically review and compare turbulence intensity calibration methods and associated KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) across multiple datasets and use cases. The study leverages a bundle of proprietary datasets provided by RWE and RES (approximately six sites each). The datasets include concurrent, co-located met mast and RSD measurements processed consistently through the TACT framework. The combined data set encompasses multiple regions with different terrain types and complexities. The RSD measurements consist of a balanced mix of both ZX and Windcube Lidar data. The calibrated Lidar TI data are evaluated under state-of-the-art KPI formulations. While the only acceptance criteria that have been officially published as recommended practice are the DNV-RP-0661 acceptance criteria, the KPIs currently proposed within the IEA task 52 are considered as well. The KPIs currently considered are the damage equivalent standard deviation, the damage index and the representative turbulence intensity. The thresholds for these KPIs and how they should be applied is still under discussion. The dynamic and ongoing discussion revolving around Lidar TI acceptance KPIs will be incorporated in this work to reflect the most current status. In parallel, a load assessment with focus on TI driven loads is conducted, to test the level of agreement between the KPIs and the simulated load results. The results demonstrate how TACT can be used as a standardized, extensible tool to (1) compare TI calibration methodologies, (2) identify KPIs and thresholds that meaningfully track turbine load sensitivity, and (3) support transparent decision-making in wind resource assessment and site suitability studies. By combining open-source tooling with multi-owner datasets, this work  enables further development of industry-wide best practices for TI calibration evaluation and KPI selection. Keywords Lidar, Turbulence Intensity, Remote Sensing, Load Assessment, Open-Source Software, Wind Resource Assessment, KPIs, TACT, Site Suitability, CFARS