The site enables testing and validation of innovations in Lidar and Sodar technology and is open to all remote sensing manufacturers, developers, consultancies, research organisations and wind turbine manufacturers.

The test site comprises a meteorological mast equipped with instrumentation mounted across a total of 7 heights, including calibrated Risø cups and Vector 100L cups based at 20 m, 45 m, 70 m and 90 m; a pressure sensor logger at 6 m and a temperature sensor mounted at 80 m.

The instruments provide wind and environmental measurements including wind speed, direction, shear and turbulence which can be used to compare the data captured by any Lidar or Sodar.

Ian Locker, MD of the ZephIR business within Natural Power, says: “The future for remote sensing devices, such as our own ZephIR Lidar, is bright. The new test site, which is the first of its kind in the UK, will allow project developers and banks’ engineers to carry out independent validations of Lidar and Sodar performance against traditional cup anemometry.

“The equipment installed builds confidence in the device measurements at higher heights and, with long term data sets usually measured at lower levels, we can now offer low level correlation. Most importantly, traceability of performance is achieved and this is essential as Lidar becomes ever more widely adopted across our industry. Natural Power offer validation services not only to our ZephIR client base but also to other Lidar and Sodar manufacturers and users.”