Research Abstracts 1991-1992: Report No. 92-01

Barbour, P.L. and S. N. Walker, "An Assessment of the RAWS Data Network for Use in Wind Energy Applications," OSU Wind Research Cooperative, WRC Report No. 92-01, April 30, 1992, 43 pp., $10.75

Wing records from a network of remote automated weather stations (RAWS), were examined for possible use in wind energy applications.  The network is managed primarily by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and consists of over six hundred sites dispersed throughout the western U.S.  Many of the sites have records dating back to 1985 or 1986.  Information about the RAWS network was presented including a description of the instrumentation, data collection capabilities and siting consideration.  Wind records form several sites in the Pacific Northwest were examined and checked for their suitability as wind monitoring locations for wind energy studies.

Results indicate that the wind records from the RAWS stations have the potential to be used in wind energy applications. The records for most sites examined were complete and the data appeared to be of sufficient quality to be used in wind energy studies. Some problems were found, however, mostly involving the locations in which stations are placed. Many sites are located in valleys or basins where winds may not adequately represent the surrounding region. Other sites appear to be located in forested areas or near obstructions that can hinder the accurate measurement of the winds. With effort and research, sites with good exposure and sufficient data records can be found and utilized.