Our Instrumentation Engineer, Arthur Butler, introduces our new service.

We take it so much for granted that it’s easy to forget how much we rely on technology in our day-to-day lives. ‘Phones’ that have more computer power than NASA could call on for its moonshots. Cars that park (and may eventually drive) themselves. Microchips in appliances that mean we can control them from anywhere in the world. We hardly know how we would cope without them, but we rarely have much idea of how any of them work.

So, we protect ourselves against the possibility of things going wrong with warranties, service contracts, and even by relinquishing ownership altogether in favour of models that give us right to usage without the risks of depreciation, service interruptions and maintenance costs. We pay experts to carry those risks on our behalf.

It’s the same with wind measurement. Good windfarm management requires a flow of windspeed data, both during a site location’s first assessment at the development stage and throughout all its years of operation. Obtaining that data is a complex business. Rather than carry all the risks associated with installation, maintenance and operation, it makes sense to contract out the task to specialists. This is why we have set up Dulas Data Service.

We realised that some of our customers were encountering challenges to manage the complex wind monitoring programs that are needed to deliver a consistent supply of data in the field, particularly during the development phase. The logistical problems are significant – the structural and planning challenges around installation, protecting equipment from whatever the weather throws at it, ensuring the power supply is not interrupted – the list goes on. Even the most robust systems are susceptible to downtime occasionally, which presents maintenance challenges for teams that mobilise in the field for short durations during the year.

Wind turbines are getting progressively taller and so the masts that obtain wind measurements have to as well. This leads to serious safety implications. With lone working discouraged and a high degree of pre-planning necessary for any site visit, both large and small energy companies are struggling to achieve best practice in site operations.

Ultimately, the client needs reliable data showing wind speeds at a range of heights, over a period of time, and with as few interruptions as humanly possible. What they don’t need is the hassle of installing masts, power systems, getting to and from sites, negotiating difficult terrain, and planning for vandalism, theft, bad weather or worse. That is where our new service comes in.

Dulas has years of experience gathering windspeed data in a wide range of locations, including some of the most inhospitable environments in the UK. Using specialist equipment, from traditional met masts (both tubular and lattice), to state-of-the-art WindCube LiDAR units, we can gather reliable data whatever the location, whatever the weather.

And we do it cost-effectively. Windspeed data operations are a peripheral aspect of our clients’ businesses but a key competence for Dulas. We know how to handle data and the infrastructure around it to deliver real operational savings.

For more information on the new service please contact us

Dulas Data Service. Delivering wind data without the hassle.