RES and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Collaborate on New Digital Technology to Boost Wind Farm Efficiency
The systemic approach of Dynamic Yaw for more productive wind farms
Improving wind turbine performance is a critical goal for the wind energy sector. As recently demonstrated by EPFL with the increased efficiency of vertical-axis wind turbines, the best way to achieve this is through cutting-edge technology. This is precisely the focus of a new partnership between RES and the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The collaboration aims to license and distribute an innovative technology designed to optimize the performance and output of wind farms.
The solution, known as ‘Dynamic Yaw,’ revolutionizes the yaw control system of wind turbines, the component responsible for aligning the blades with the wind.
How to Improve Wind Turbine Performance
As RES explains on its website, wind turbines currently “operate independently, prioritizing their own energy production without considering the overall performance of the wind farm.” Despite each turbine having access to detailed local wind data, this information is not shared to optimize output across the entire project, leading to reduced efficiency and increased stress on individual units.
Dynamic Yaw offers a more holistic view. The technology uses control techniques and wake steering to improve yaw decisions for turbines, thereby enhancing overall performance and efficiency. “The renewable energy sector is on the verge of widespread digitalization,” said Alex Bamberger, VP of Digital Solutions at RES. “Dynamic Yaw technology will help wind farm owners optimize the overall production of their assets through better data utilization and subsequent autonomous action of the asset.”
Paul Fleming, senior engineer for wind energy control systems at NREL, believes that “this technology demonstrates the capability of coordinated wind farm control to deliver improved performance and energy output.”
Developed, installed, and managed by RES, and incorporating IP licensed from NREL, Dynamic Yaw has been tested by the company for over seven years on turbines in UK wind farms. According to early estimates from RES, the systemic approach of Dynamic Yaw could improve overall energy efficiency, adding the equivalent of 1-3 wind turbines to a 100-turbine wind farm simply through better management and controls.
