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Appearance of wind plants in weather radar 

Author:  | Meteorology, U.S.

Appearance of wind plants varies with time and radar beam propagation path. Examples on these 14 slides include spurious echo return and false precipitation estimates.

On slide 5, false echoes from the wind plant are evident; note weather coming from the West. Operators looking at any single image in the loop would see what appear to be thunderstorms in the area occupied by the wind plant.

noaa-wind-farms-weather-radar-p5

In the close-up on slide 6, note strong echoes along the leading edge as well as weak return behind the turbines, due to “multi-path scattering” of radar beam.

noaa-wind-farms-weather-radar-p6

Slide 7 shows the velocity image: The echoes downrange from the wind towers/turbines are spurious, as shown on the previous slide. Red colors indicate outbound velocities (going away from the radar) and green colors indicate inbound velocities (coming toward the radar). Red colors in close proximity to green colors can be indicators of tornadoes, mesocyclones, convergence, or divergence, all of which can be indicators of severe weather.

noaa-wind-farms-weather-radar-p7

Slide 13 shows an example of a storm moving in that is confusing to differentiate from false echos of wind plant.

noaa-wind-farms-weather-radar-p13

Slide 14 shows 5-inch precipitation estimate error due to wind plants on radar.

noaa-wind-farms-weather-radar-p14

Download original document: “Appearance of wind plants in weather radar

This material is the work of the author(s) indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this material resides with the author(s). As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Queries e-mail.

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