Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WaSP) training

     The week of October 14 - 17, 2002 the China Renewable Energy Association (CREA) organized a Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WaSP) training.  This course was presented by Lars Landberg, PhD., Head of Wind Power Meteorology for Riso National Laboratory, based in Denmark.  Participants came from several consulting companies including Hydropower Consultants Ltd., EPRI, North China Power Engineering Co., among others.  Jorge Ayarza, technical advisor at the UNDP/PMO office also participated in the training.

     The weeklong training focused on practical exercises including a day of outdoor activities that taught proper installation, calibration and site documentation.  The training was thorough in order to help participants get a better understanding of how wind data must be checked and analyzed in order to use it for wind resource assessment purposes.  Much time was spent going over exercises that demonstrated the need to be thorough, plus the need to get as much detailed information about the site as possible.  Without proper documentation and pictures the whole procedure can become easily skewed and errors can be made analyzing data.  Quality control of the data stream, plus detailed analysis of wind data are a permanent and continues process for any project.

       Considering that the UNDP/PMO has a wind resource assessment project in the early stages of development the participation of RISO in this training was a welcome and timely event.

     Tom Hamlim, Program Officer for Energy & Ozone Action Unit at UNEP, was also present at the WaSP training.  UNEP is also starting the SWERA wind mapping project here in China. 

   It is believed that there are many areas where we could cooperate since the projects are concurrent and there are similar goals.