Database on wind characteristics. IEA R and D wind annex 17

The main objective of Annex XVII is to provide wind energy planners and designers, as well as the international wind engineering community in general, with easy access to quality controlled measured wind field time series observed in a wide range of environments (wind climates, terrain types, wind turbine wakes). From its inception Annex XVII has successfully met the purpose by ensuring that the database is always on-line and available through the Internet, and by making possible and managing the continuous development and dissemination of the database. The specific objectives of the proposed continuation of Annex XVII are to: 1. Assure that the users, also in the future, will have access to the database through the Internet; 2. Accomplish the initiated globalisation of the database, with the goal of collecting a limited but representative portion of existing wind data that reflects relevant wind turbine load situations; 3. Attract even more users by a continued effort on dissemination and development of the database facilities and to investigate the possibilities for running 'Database on Wind Characteristics' on a commercial basis after the proposed prolongation; 4. Support the international standardisation efforts by contributing to calibration of load-critical wind field parameters as well as by identifying and quantifying rare events of crucial importance for the structural integrity of a wind turbine structure. This activity will be co-ordinated closely with the activities in the IEC-TC88/MT1 committee aiming at a revision of the IEC 61400-1 safety code for wind turbines