Meteorological monitoring data such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and barometric pressure are required to be reported at wind power facilities.

Capstone Power Development will be relying on Pentalum Technologies' SpiDAR wind LiDAR to provide real-time wind speed measurements at four Ontario wind farms reaching commercial operation in 2016. Meteorological information gathered from the SpiDARs will be reported to the Independent Electricity System Operator for its centralized forecasting program.

Meteorological monitoring data such as wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and barometric pressure are required to be reported at wind power facilities. This data help the system operators understand weather conditions which could impact generation. Traditionally, installing a large meteorological tower can prove very costly in terms of materials, maintenance, and permitting.

"Choosing to measure these variables using a compact ground-based LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device makes financial sense for Capstone," explains Grant Qualley, General Manager for Pentalum Technologies.

Pentalum's SpiDAR was developed in 2011 and has been deployed over 300 times on five continents. The SpiDAR uses patented direct-detection technology to measure wind speed and direction up to 200 meters above ground level. It has been utilized in wind energy applications, pollution monitoring, and wildfire mitigation.