SITING A WIND PROJECT - Wind Resource Assessment: A Practical Guide to Developing a Wind Project - page 29

3.4.1 Dedicated Towers
Several guidelines should be followed when choosing the locations for new, dedicated
monitoring towers:

• The towers should be placed as far away as possible from significant obstructions
that would not be representative of obstructions at likely turbine locations.
• For small projects, a location should be selected that is representative of where
most of the wind turbines are likely to be sited, not necessarily where the best
wind is to be found.
• For large projects, a diverse set of locations representing the full range of con-
ditions where wind turbines are likely to be sited should be chosen. If only one
mast is installed to start with, it should be in the most representative location for
the planned turbine array.
• The towers should be placed away from transmission lines and buried gas lines
or electric cables, among other hazards.

One approach to tower placement is to keep the distance between any proposed
turbine and the nearest tower within specified limits. With this method, it is necessary
to envision a specific turbine layout (or at least its outlines) before siting the towers.
While there is no clear industry standard, the guidelines in Table 3-2 may be useful.
Distance is not the only criterion that should be considered, however. It is equally
important that the mast locations be representative of the terrain in which the turbines
will eventually be installed. For example, it is not unusual for turbines to be placed
not only along the crest of a ridge where the wind is usually strongest but also some
distance down the slope. It would be beneficial in such a situation to place one or more

Table 3-2. Recommended maximum distances between monitoring masts and
turbines based on terrain complexity and land cover

Maximum recommended distance
between any proposed turbine

location and nearer mast, km a Project site Terrain and land cover

Simple Generally flat with uniform surface

roughness

5-8

Moderately complex Examples include inland site with
gently rolling hills, coastal site
with uniform distance from
shore, single ridgeline
perpendicular to prevailing wind

3-5

Very complex Steep geometrically complex

ridgelines, coastal site with
varying distance from shore, or
heavily forested

1-3

a The meteorological mast is assumed to be located within the proposed turbine array.
Source: AWS Truepower.