The Raedthuys Group has purchased and will deploy four ZephIR 300 lidars for wind measurement campaigns to assess wind conditions at the various wind farms the company has under development.

The ZephIR 300 lidar units are currently being calibrated at the test site of Ecofys WTTS in Lelystad, following their industry approved factory validation at the UK's Lidar and Sodar test site. With the application of ZephIR lidar technology in the development of wind farms, Raedthuys continues in its leadership in the Netherlands. As a leading player in this market, the company has to deal with many different locations, topographies, site conditions and access restrictions. The purchase of four units allows Raedthuys to measure at many individual projects over the coming years and ZephIR was specifically chosen due to its flexibility in deployment.

ZephIR 300 provides wind measurements up to 200 metres from installed level and importantly down to just 10 metres to provide on-site correlations with both tall and short met masts, forming an integral part of anemometry campaigns in the wind industry, through to site operations where the system is used for power curve measurements both at ground level but also in turbine-mounted applications.

Reports from Ecofys WTTS and GL Garrad Hassan show that measurements with a ZephIR lidar can be at least as accurate as those of a tall met mast. Because ZephIR lidars can be moved easily and the results of multiple units can be combined, they are more flexible to deploy and give more detailed information on wind conditions. The Energy Research Centre for the Netherlands (ECN) has completed a 12 month offshore measurement campaign with the novel ZephIR 300 system as part of a 4 year campaign within the Dutch project "Meteorological Research Wind at Sea" where the ZephIR has been compared against the 108 metre Met Mast Ijmuiden (MMIJM) at the ECN Wind Turbine test facility EWTW (see: http://www.zephirlidar.com/news/items/11/zephir-300-approved-for-use-as-stand-alone-resource-assessment-by-the-energy-research-centre-for-the-netherlands)

Arthur Vermeulen, Director of Raedthuys Wind Energy: "These ZephIR 300 lidar units - unlike regular wind measurement masts – are easy to install without a planning license and give us a better understanding of all the wind characteristics at a particular location. ZephIR can measure various heights, up to a maximum of 200 meters and uniquely down to just 10 meters. Given the current size of wind turbines this is of enormous value to us. A traditional wind measurement mast could only measure to about a height of 100 meters. Based on the acquired wind data it will be possible to make better informed technological decisions, such as which brand or type of turbine is the best choice. We can also accurately predict the production of a wind turbine or wind farm in the future and reduce the margin of uncertainty. This gives us a lot more confidence when making an investment and financing decision for a Raedthuys wind farm."

On the announcement, Ian Locker, MD at Zephir Ltd. commented: "It is encouraging to see wind farm developers such as Raedthuys deploying multiple systems across portfolios of sites in development. Increasingly, ZephIR is becoming part of the financing decision on new sites and we are proud to be reducing risk for our clients through the investment phase of a project. Ecofys join the growing community of Banks Engineers who accept ZephIR data as part of a bankable campaign and we continue to work closely with the industry to ensure ZephIR – the original lidar - remains the world's leading lidar."

About Raedthuys Group

The Raedthuys Group creates renewable energy. Raedthuys has been realizing renewable energy projects since 1995. We develop and manage not only wind and solar installations, but also create opportunities for businesses and individuals to invest. In this way Raedthuys, together with others, contributes to the development of a stable, sustainable and future-proof energy supply in the Netherlands.

Sustainability and social interests go hand in hand at Raedthuys. Therefore Raedthuys also invests in community projects and gives its employees the opportunity to work for charities for 40 hours annually. The Raedthuys Group is located in Enschede, the Netherlands. It employs 32 people.

About Zephir Ltd.

In 2003 we released the first commercial wind lidar, ZephIR®, exploiting decades of research at UK government Research & Development establishment QinetiQ. Designed specifically for the wind industry ZephIR has paved the way for many of the remote sensing devices seen in the market today. Our original lidar technology continues to innovate with world firsts such as taking measurements from a wind turbine spinner and being the first to deploy an offshore wind lidar, both fixed and floating. ZephIR has also now amassed more than 3 million hours of operation across 650+ deployments globally spanning a decade of commercial experience. For wind measurements onshore, offshore and in turbine-mounted applications, ZephIR provides accurate, reliable finance-grade wind data.

Zephir Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fred. Olsen Ltd. - established in the UK in 1963 with business interests primarily focussed on renewable energy, including ZephIR.

Visit www.zephirlidar.com for more information.