Wind Atlas for South Africa

(WASA)

Progress since 19 April 2013

for Work Package 2

WASA PIU Meeting

23 September 2013

E Prinsloo (CSIR)

Data Collection

• 100% Data recovery for all stations for this period, except WM10 (faulty Rh sensor), WM08 (seized bearings 62m anemometer), WM07, (hail damaged 62m anemometer), and all sensors of WM04 (sabotage of mast)

• Mast WM04 was sabotaged on 6 June, by someone cutting the north-facing guy ropes, to let the mast fall over. This in order to gain access to the remaining solar panel and the battery of the data logger.

• WM07 and WM08 anemometers were replaced on 29 April and 2 May respectively. Rh sensor at WM10 was replaced on 1 May.

Data Management• All outstanding QA from Nov 2012 to August 2013 now been

done.

• QA reports still need to be completed and uploaded to team site.

• The suggested creation of a section on the data download site where any problems experienced with instruments can be logged, still needs to be done.

• Daily info messages received from RODEO are used to compare with the WASA online graphs, and any out of the ordinary comparisons noted to assist when doing the monthly QA.

• Sites WM07 to WM10 visited, general mast and instrument conditions checked and repaired where necessary.

• Mast verticality checked using a Leica total station, sighting from three sides. Report on these measurements to form part of the Jul-Sep quarterly report.

• None of the masts had any nests. At WM09 and WM10 guy ropes were in good condition but upper guy ropes at WM08 shows severe corrosion, one orange aviation sphere was partly dislodged, and paint peeling off.

• Issue of guy rope corrosion taken up with Webb LeBlanc. Awaiting a quote on replacement

Station Maintenance

Station Maintenance contd.• WM07 62m anemometer damaged on 27 March

during a hailstorm, was replaced on 29 April

• WM09 showed virtually no corrosion, but zinc-rich spray paint was used to treat the corroded parts at the other two masts, mostly turnbuckles

• At the new WM09 mast installed in Dec 2011, guy rope ends were tied back onto guy ropes to prevent guy rope by being dislodged by block of ice sliding down rope

• Appears that this happened during the July 2012 snow storms, but current configuration prevented dislodging of the guy rope, the ice block hitting the clamps instead.

• Very small problem of bird droppings on solar panels at WM08, but does not affect PV output that much. They were cleaned anyway.

Station Maintenance contd.• Replace broken cable ties with which cabling is

secured to mast

• Replaced LED Type A navlights at WM09 (photo) with original Type B light (ex WM10), using separate solar panel and battery box.

• One LED navlight at WM10 did not work so transplanted battery pack from an ex-WM09 Type A light.

• At WM08 the photo-diode switch required to switch the navlight on/off was faulty, so it was overridden to get the light flashing continuously.

• A Type B light (ex-WM04), with new solar regulator was installed on 16 May during a non-related trip to Coega.

Station Maintenance contd.• New Rh sensor and solar regulator was installed at WM10

• Total km’s travelled for inspection trip was about 2400km.

• At WM08, fences keeping cattle away from the guy rope terminations were quite dilapidated, and the farm owner under took to have these repaired.

• In general, masts and instruments

are functioning well.

Vredenburg mast WM04 (sabotaged)

• The mitigation measures at WM04 too good.

• Perpetrator hacked off all six guy ropes on the northern side of the mast, to let the mast fall over. Removed solar panel and battery and cut all cables

• Only data logger, two anemometers and one wind direction sensor could be salvaged as undamaged

• Claimed from insurance, and to date had payments of R152K in total.

Vredenburg mast WM04 cont.

• One fingerprint could be lifted from the logger box, but to date no arrests have been made.

Work after 30 Sept• Complete measurement report - due for 30 Nov

2013. Incorporate WASA best practice lessons

• Bring Q&A reports up to date and post on team site.

• Post updated logbooks onto teamsite

• Acknowledge land owners of WASA1 masts – how and by whom?

What is the road forward?– Try and manage remaining masts until March 2014 using

insurance pay out funds? (R152k to date)

– Are any funds available from Green Energy Fund?

– No malfunctioning instrument to be replaced?

– What about replacement of guy ropes at WM08? If left unattended, it would become unsafe to climb the mast, or mast can eventually collapse. Insurance won’t pay out

– According to contract for WP2, two anemometers per masts must be re-calibrated after measurement period ends on 30 Sept 2013. What do we do?

– Noupoort mast needed re-checking 1 year after erecting -almost 2 years now expired. Could lose C of C.

What is the road forward? contd.

– Land Owner Agreements – manager of WP2.2 will have to do it. CSIR cannot renew agreements, if not part of WASA2 WP2.2