Whiffle is proud to announce a new Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with Ørsted, a global leader in renewable energy. This collaboration aims to enhance the accuracy of onshore wind flow modeling by tackling the challenges posed by wind behavior in complex sites.
- This partnership will further improve the accuracy of wind flow modelling for onshore wind projects, particularly in complex, forested terrains.
- The collaboration will focus on refining Whiffle’s Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model and seamlessly integrating its application into Ørsted’s workflows.
Wind Modelling in Complex Terrain
Forested and mountainous regions are among the most difficult environments for accurate wind flow modelling due to the strong spatial variability in tree height, canopy density, and terrain features. These factors create turbulent wind patterns and significant reductions in wind speeds, which traditional wind modelling tools, with their limited resolution, often fail to accurately capture.
The JDA between Whiffle and Ørsted will drive improvements in the LES model by integrating detailed terrain and vegetation data, ensuring that wind simulations are more accurate and reliable in challenging onshore environments. The focus will be on refining the model to align with Ørsted’s operational needs.
Some Insights from Ørsted and Whiffle
Andrew Davidson, Senior Energy Analyst at Ørsted, commented:
“At Ørsted, we continuously strive to improve our wind resource assessment through various initiatives. With wind being the very foundation for wind farm revenue, accurately predicting the available wind resource is crucial for developing a wind farm and building its business case. By partnering with Whiffle to enhance their Large Eddy Simulation model for onshore sites, where complex topography and forestry often present challenges, we aim to deliver commercial benefits for our onshore projects.”
Remco Verzijlbergh, CEO at Whiffle, added:
“We’re very happy to be able to collaborate with Ørsted in the coming period. This joint development is a pivotal step in strengthening our LES model to meet the demands of the most challenging onshore environments. By combining high-resolution data with our state-of-the-art simulation capabilities, we’re not just improving our model—we’re setting new standards for wind resource assessments that will directly impact the success and efficiency of onshore wind projects.”
About Whiffle
Whiffle B.V. was founded in 2015, starting as a spin out of the Dutch Delft University of Technology. With its roots in science, the company continues to use cutting edge R&D to further develop Large Eddy Simulation (LES) models and its unique implementation on high performance computing systems. This resulted in the world’s first Large Eddy Simulation (LES) based operational weather model that produces highly accurate and ultra high-resolution weather forecasts. Application areas of Whiffle’s model include short-term wind and solar power forecasting, wind resource assessments and wind energy yield modelling.
About Ørsted
The Ørsted vision is a world that runs entirely on green energy. Ørsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and onshore wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, renewable hydrogen and green fuels facilities, and bioenergy plants. Ørsted is recognised on the CDP Climate Change A List as a global leader on climate action and was the first energy company in the world to have its science-based net-zero emissions target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Headquartered in Denmark, Ørsted employs approx. 8,400 people. Ørsted’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen (Orsted). In 2023, the group’s revenue was DKK 79.3 billion (EUR 10.6 billion). Visit orsted.com or follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X.
