Tall Wind Profile Validation Using Lidar Observations and Hindcast Data

Abstract. The development of large offshore wind turbines and airborne wind energy (AWE) systems requires reliable wind speed datasets at heights far above the atmospheric surface layer. Traditional measurement approaches, primarily reliant on met-masts, fall short of addressing the needs of modern wind turbine design and AWE systems development. In this study, we validate three different model-based datasets, namely the 3-km Norwegian Hindcast archive (NORA3), the New European Wind Atlas (NEWA), and ERA5 using Doppler wind lidar data from several locations in Norway and the North Sea. The validation focuses on altitudes from 100 to 500 m above ground, covering the operational range of large wind turbines and AWE systems. Our findings indicate that ERA5 and NORA3 perform remarkably well in offshore locations, with ERA5 showing the closest correlation to lidar data up to 200 m. NORA3 outperforms the other two models in two coastal and one complex terrain sites. Finally, an increasing agreement between the models and lidar measurements with height suggests that model-based datasets can be valuable for AWE systems research and development.