Photo credit: OX2
A new state-of-the-art forecasting system, IceRiskForecast 2.0, has been developed within a public funded R&D project at Kjeller Vindteknikk. IceRiskForecast 2.0 provides the users with insight into the current and upcoming icing events and allows them to make optimal decisions to manage the risk of ice throw and ice fall.
The IceRiskForecast 2.0 combines the forecasts from Kjeller Vindteknikk´s in-house Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulations with ensemble forecasts from the MetCoOp Ensemble Prediction System (MEPS). In addition, real-time operational turbine SCADA data from the wind farms is used to nowcast the current icing situation in the wind farms and calibrate the models. The IceRiskForcast2.0 was released for the first wind farms on October 1st 2021. For the current winter 2021/22, a total of 15 wind farms will recieve these forecasts presented to the public. The target end-user for the IceRiskForcast 2.0 is the general public. The forecasts are presented for the public in an easily understandable format using “traffic lights”.
Kjeller Vindteknikk has developed IceRiskForecast 2.0 in collaboration with Norwegian Meteorological Institute in the R&D project “Wind Energy in Icing Climate”. The project would not have been possible without funding from its sponsors, Fosen Wind, Zephyr, Fortum, Fred Olsen Renewables and Hydro, and The Research Council of Norway.