In recent years substantial datasets of historic power performance tests have been assembled and these deliver a clear message: wind turbine performance in real world conditions can depart considerably from performance in idealised test conditions. A renewed sense of realism has been awakened in the resource assessment community which has led to the adoption of various methods for transposing an ideal warranted power curve into a real world power curve, i.e. a curve which represents a true central estimate of the power delivered in the site-specific wind speed, air density, turbulence, wind shear, inflow etc. These methods remain embryonic and there is much work left to do. Can the industry converge on accepted and standardised methods? Is it feasible to apply these new methods in everyday resource assessment calculations? Can these methods be shown truly to improve upon the simpler approaches they are superseding?

Learning objectives

• Understand why the use of real world power curves is important
• Apply the Inner-Outer range concept
• Apply the turbulence renormalisation method
• Apply the rotor equivalent wind speed (RESW) method
• Apply the power matrix (proxy) method
• Get an update of the progress of the Power Curve Working Group (PCWG)