SgurrEnergy’s PPT Services In Line with New IEC Standard

SgurrEnergy, part of Wood Group, has informed that its Power Performance Testing (PPT) services, which deliver wind turbine power curve tests, are fully compliant with the recently issued 2^nd edition of IEC 61400-12-1 wind turbine standard from the International Electrotechnical Commission.

The IEC is the international standards and conformity assessment body for all fields of electrotechnology. The latest edition of its wind turbine power performance assessment standard, IEC 61400-12-1:2017, includes the technical basis for the acceptance of lidar measurements in wind turbine power performance testing.

Power curve tests support the delivery of successful wind power projects. Actual power curves can be compared to the warranted power curve provided by the wind turbine manufacturer. This ensures the requirements of the turbine supply agreement are fulfilled. The manufacturer can then correct any sources of underperformance if these are discovered as a consequence of the test. PPT also de-risks wind power projects with evidence of satisfactory performance in line with pre-construction production estimates and a baseline for ongoing monitoring.

SgurrEnergy’s senior scientist, Prof Peter Clive, who was a member of the committee which wrote the latest edition of the standard, said: “We strive to be at the forefront of technology, so it’s also great to see that many of the techniques supported by the latest edition were in fact pioneered by SgurrEnergy. For example, the t-piece method, which uses scanning lidar installed on the transition piece of an offshore wind turbine, is the only IEC compliant approach offshore that does not require the installation of an additional fixed platform.

“This is made possible by the inclusion of guidance on the use of lidar in the new edition. The cost of tests is massively reduced as a result. The role of the tests can now be extended to include operations and maintenance and investigating the influence of complex wind conditions on power performance.

“The capabilities of lidar are transforming the way we do wind power.”