Wind Farm Mapping
Maximizing the Power of Wind
Maximizing the power output by establishing the optimal turbine site layout is critical to the success of a wind farm.
The cost of the turbines can be as much as 75-percent of the cost of the wind farm. In contrast, the cost of the design is minuscule. Yet it is the design that determines ultimate long-term financial success.
Because the cost of the design is so small compared to the cost of the turbines, it makes economic sense to invest in accurate topographic mapping and orthophotography to help planners and engineering design teams make optimum micro-siting decisions—for location and orientation of the turbines. This required level of assurance cannot be accomplished by using "free" internet mapping, or USGS maps.
In addition, aerial mapping is much faster, and far more cost-effective than a ground surveyor solution.
Wide Ranging Experience
AeroMetric has completed a wide variety of projects in every state and in over 30 countries, including Canada and Mexico. AeroMetric’s wind farm experience includes dozens of projects across the width and breadth of the nation—from Hawaii to Maryland, and from Montana to Texas.
Environmental Permitting Solutions
Addressing environmental concerns is a frequent permitting requirement. AeroMetric’s digital orthophotography is a proven tool in the hands of technical specialists to support a permit application.
Design and Construction Solutions
Economic engineering design demands large scale, detailed topographic maps. AeroMetric’s topographic maps, coupled with select area orthophotography, facilitate turbine micro-siting, and the layout of access roads for turbine and crane transportation during construction. In addition to assisting with road geometry development, our wind farm topographic maps give planning and engineering teams a reliable tool to bypass existing infrastructure and obstructing natural features, and optimize access corridor routing through farmlands and the surrounding environment.
Rugged and Vegetated Terrain Solutions
Although most wind turbines are erected on relatively flat farmland or ranches, access roads and transmission infrastructure may need to traverse adjacent rugged terrain. Wind turbines located on a ridge are often surrounded by heavily vegetated land. In both of these cases, an aerial solution utilizing LiDAR to penetrate the foliage will reliably capture terrain data required for the preparation of accurate topographic maps.
Connecting to the Power Grid
High output wind farms are often located in remote areas, far from established power grids. This requires careful evaluation to find the most efficient corridor to transmit electricity from the turbines to the grid. Because these feeder corridors can be many miles in length they often traverse multiple properties, complicating planning. AeroMetric can provide small scale route mapping to help assess alternative transmission line routes, as well as large scale topographic maps and orthophotography – providing engineers with a high level of confidence as they locate each transmission tower within the preferred alignment.
AeroMetric’s wind farm topographic and orthophotography solutions are the tools of choice for cost effective permitting, planning and design, and construction management support.
