SCADA-based calibration & performance diagnostics
windalytics Alignment
Find hidden performance losses in existing SCADA data. A focused diagnostic service for wind farm owners, operators, and asset managers.
Discuss your wind farmWhat the assessment answers
A miscalibrated wind vane can leave a turbine pointing slightly away from the wind while routine monitoring shows no obvious problem. windalytics Alignment combines historical SCADA data, cross-turbine comparisons, wind farm modelling, and engineering interpretation to identify likely calibration issues and hidden underperformance.
We assess:
- Wind vane biases that may cause a turbine to operate away from its best alignment.
- Yaw northing biases that affect reported absolute wind direction.
- Relative turbine underperformance and changes over time, interpreted in the context of wakes and operating conditions.
What you receive
You receive a concise technical report and a review call, covering turbine-specific findings, estimated calibration values where supported by the data, and prioritized recommendations for correction or further investigation. Where the data supports it, we also estimate the associated energy loss or improvement potential.
The assessment may find no material calibration issue. Data quality and operating conditions determine how firm the conclusions can be; a reliable correction value may not be possible for every turbine.
Data requirements
We typically use one year or more of historical SCADA data for all turbines in the wind farm. Shorter periods may also be suitable, depending on the investigation, data quality, and operating conditions covered. One-minute data is preferred; ten-minute data can be used.
- SCADA signals: standard operating signals and relative wind direction for vane diagnostics. We review the available signal list before confirming suitability and scope.
- Site information: turbine types and wind farm layout.
- Operating history: known calibration changes and maintenance records, where available, to help interpret changes over time.
If relative wind direction is missing, or the available history is shorter, please tell us at the scoping stage and we will assess which questions the data can support.
Assessment and follow-up
The analysis is a self-contained project. Corrective implementation support, detailed root-cause investigation, controlled on/off testing, and later performance reviews can be scoped separately. Identifying a likely calibration issue and measuring the effect of a correction are distinct steps.
For a bespoke wake-loss study or a broader technical investigation, see windalytics Custom.
Field evidence
Together with Energiekontor AG, we tested wind vane corrections on five turbines by repeatedly switching them on and off and comparing production with reference turbines. The five turbines showed a mean measured gain of about 3% during the campaign. As a cross-check, the same evaluation applied to seven turbines without toggled corrections returned a mean apparent gain of approximately 0%, as expected.
These results are specific to this campaign and do not predict the outcome at another site. See the field result and figure.
Start with a scope check
Share the turbine count and types, available SCADA history and signal list, and any known concerns. We will confirm the scope, deliverables, schedule, and fee before starting.
A practical next step
Let’s look at your wind farm.
Start with a short conversation about your question and the most useful next step.