A study on wind farm year on year performance
Student name: Ms Mallika Bedia
Guide: Dr Jami Hossain
Year of completion: 2017
Host Organisation: ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Ajith Pillai
Abstract: Wind farms require large capital investments. Consequently, extensive wind
resource assessment exercises are conducted to predict the future energy yield with
reliable accuracy prior to the setting up of a wind farm. These assessments form the
basis for the financial viability of the project and thus, its execution. However, these
predictions always accommodate some uncertainties and sometimes these
assessments might overestimate the production. Many factors attribute to a
discrepancy between the pre-construction wind resource assessment and the actual
wind farm production.
ReNew Power Ventures Pvt. Ltd. has developed a wind farm in A01 in Maharashtra.
This thesis is an investigation of the performance of this wind farm. To investigate
the case, the relevant resource assessment data are analysed. Prior to the
construction, wind resource assessment was done. However, this estimated Plant
Load Factor (PLF) was found to be different from the PLFs that were actually
achieved from 2014-2016. A literature review was done to ascertain the possible
contributing causes of the discrepancy. It was found that a host of factors can lead to
underperformance like underestimating the non-availability of the turbines, the wake
losses, non-optimal turbine performance and so on. This project focusses on the
wind resource assessment aspects that could lead to this discrepancy. Thus, the wind
measurement data provided is investigated and wind resource assessment is carried
out again, considering factors that could lead to this underperformance.
