The most accurate WRGs for complex terrain, calibrated to your measurements.
Upload long-term corrected mast data. Get an LES-derived wind resource grid within 24 hours.
Technology trusted by industry leaders
High-resolution WRGs, delivered in hours,
ready for your wind resource assessment
Whiffle Wind generates wind resource grids from Large Eddy Simulation, resolving the actual flow physics of your site at sub-100m resolution. In complex terrain cross-prediction, Whiffle LES consistently achieves MAPE as low as 3.7% (compared to 5.6–11.1% for linearised flow models on the same sites). Results are typically ready within 6–24 hours, in the WRG format your existing tools already use. And now you can calibrate to your own measurements — both outputs delivered together, at no extra cost.
In complex terrain, your flow model
determines your accuracy.
Onshore wind is moving into complex terrain, where orography, forestry and atmospheric stability dominate the flow. Linear models approximate complex flow as correction factors – a structural limitation that’s in every grid cell before you’ve uploaded a measurement. CFD goes further, solving non-linear flow equations, but does not resolve the full turbulent regime.
Accurately representing the wind climate where terrain, thermal effects, canopy and atmospheric stability all interact simultaneously requires solving the complete equations including turbulence.
Whiffle LES does this directly, using ERA5 atmospheric data and high-resolution terrain, forestry and land use inputs. When you calibrate onto that baseline, your measurements are correcting a model that already resolved your site’s actual flow, not one that approximated it.
- Simple and moderate terrain
- Non-linear flow effects
- Flow separation at ridges and forest edges
- Full turbulent regime resolved
- Yes
- No
- No
- No
- Yes
- Yes
- Partial
- No
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
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- Simple and moderate terrain
- Non-linear flow effects
- Flow separation at ridges and forest edges
- Full turbulent regime resolved
- Yes
- No
- No
- No
- Yes
- Yes
- Partial
- No
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
Up to 2.5x lower cross-prediction error in complex forested terrain
Forests are one of the most persistent challenges in wind resource assessment. Flow through complex, heterogeneous canopies is non-linear, scale-dependent, and changes over a project’s lifetime.
In a joint project with Perigus Energy, presented at WindEurope, Whiffle validated its LES model performance across three complex forested sites in the UK and Ireland. Cross-prediction MAPE came in at 3–5% with Whiffle LES, against 6–12% for a standard linear flow model on the same sites.
"A major step forward in long-term wind modelling"
“Accurately characterising wind conditions is one of the most critical and challenging aspects of onshore project development, particularly in complex forested terrain. Whiffle Wind is built on Whiffle’s atmospheric LES model, resolving the physical processes that determine the wind field at these sites: canopy drag, atmospheric stability, thermally driven flows. Through our joint development work, it has become a core part of how we improve confidence in wind resource assessments for our most challenging onshore sites”
Andrew Davidson, Senior Wind Energy Analyst at Perigus Energy
How it works
Step 1
Upload measurements
Wind speed and direction at 10-minute intervals, across up to six sensor heights.
Step 2
Set up your simulation
Select your domain, simulation period, and measurements in the calibration panel. Start the run.
Step 3
Whiffle LES runs on your site
Whiffle Wind processes a 20-year statistics run for your domain. Results are typically ready in 6 – 24 hours.
Step 4
Download both WRGs
You receive a calibrated and non-calibrated WRG for every run. Compare both before committing the calibrated output to your project.
Pricing
Pricing is based on domain size and simulation period. For larger domains or bespoke project requirements, contact support@whiffle.nl.
| Domain size* | 20-year Statistics run | Calibration |
|---|---|---|
| Small (12.8 km × 12.8 km) | € 493 | ✓ Included |
| Medium (51.2 km × 51.2 km) | € 3,131 | ✓ Included |
| Large (102.4 km × 102.4 km) | € 7,890 | ✓ Included |
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Try it out on your sites
Book a 30-minute demo and we’ll walk through how you can get the most out of Whiffle Wind for what you need — how to set up simulations, interpret your outputs, and fit it into your existing workflow. You’ll leave with free credits to run your own simluations.
Do you need hourly resolution?
When your yield assessment requires a full time series — for detailed AEP modelling, P50/P90 analysis at hourly resolution, or wake modelling inputs — a Whiffle Wind time series is the natural next step.
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting started
I don’t currently use Whiffle Wind. Can I still run a calibrated WRG?
Yes. The demo is the starting point. Book a 30-minute session and we’ll walk through a calibrated WRG for a site in your region. You’ll leave with free credits to run your own.
How long does it take to get a calibrated WRG?
Typically within 6–24 hours from uploading your measurements, the same turnaround as a standard statistics run. No additional setup time, no separate workflow.
Does calibration cost extra?
No. Calibration is included in every statistics run at no additional charge. The cost is based on LES domain size and simulation period — the same as a standard run.
Your data and workflow
What measurement data do I need to upload?
Long-term corrected wind speed and direction at 10-minute intervals, UTC timestamps. Met mast and lidar data both accepted — if you have wind speed and direction at matched heights, it works. Up to six sensor heights per mast, multiple mast locations supported.
How many masts do I need?
The 1/d² weighting means an unrepresentative mast carries disproportionate influence on nearby grid points. Both calibrated and non-calibrated WRGs are delivered for every run — review the comparison before committing to the calibrated output in a project. Learn more by reading our documentation.
What if my mast is in a sheltered or unrepresentative location?
No. Calibration is included in every statistics run at no additional charge. The cost is based on LES domain size and simulation period — the same as a standard run.
How it works
How is this different from applying corrections in WindPRO or OpenWIND?
The method is the same — spatially distributed, inverse-distance-squared weighting from mast locations. What changes is the model you’re calibrating onto. Correcting an LES-derived WRG that already resolves terrain physics, non-linear flow effects and flow separation at sub-100m resolution produces a better result than correcting a linearised flow model. Same method. Better baseline.
What does calibration correct?
Wind speed (sector mean) and sector frequency — both corrected simultaneously from the same measurement inputs, across the full grid, weighted by mast proximity.
Is calibration available for time series
Calibration is available for statistics runs only. You can request a calibrated time series by setting up a simulation in Whiffle Wind and selecting Run via support on the Overview step. In the information field, indicate that you would like a calibrated time series. Alternatively, you can contact support@whiffle.nl to discuss options.
