Resource Data Format

RERL Wind Time Series Data File Format

This standard data format was defined with the following objectives:

  • Accessible on different computer platforms
  • Accessible from different softwares
  • Self contained (relevant information is included in the file)

The following is a suggested template (in bold) plus a sample (Thompson Island, but not necessarily exact) for the format for archiving DOER wind, solar, etc. resource data.

Note 1: Data to be saved as comma delimited text file

Note 2: File to be named by <site name>_<year>.dat

Note 3: The header is ended by three asterisks (***)

Note 4: Missing data to be indicated by -999

Note 5: Multiyear data to be saved with yearly files

Example:

File Name: Thompson Island_1998.dat

Site Name: Thompson Island
Site Location: Boston Harbor
Site Latitude and Longitude: 42-18-51 N, 071-00-42 W
Type of Data Collected: Wind speed at 2 heights, solar insolation, logger temperature and voltage
Time Period: August 27, 1999 to December, 31, 1999
Time Step of Data: 10 min
Original Data Sample Rate: 1 Hz
Data Collection By: RERL, Univ. of Mass.
Sensor 1: Internal temperature, Units: Degrees Fahrenheit
Sensor 2: Internal voltage, Units: Volts
Sensor 3: Maximum anemometer, #40 m, 25 m above ground level, Units: mph
Sensor 4: Maximum anemometer, #40 m, 40 m above ground level, Units: mph
(more sensors)
Sensor N: .
Data Logger:NRG 9300 (other examples are Second Wind, Aeolian Kinetics, strip chart)
Calibration Information: all sensors calibrated, see report. ( on ftp site when available)
Source/Date for Reformatting: (UA, RERL, 3/16/01)
Comments: The first two data values are logger internal temperature and voltages; subsequently the means and then the standard deviation for each sensor are reported.
***
Year-Month-Day, Hour:Minute, Logger Temp, Logger Voltage, #1 wind speed mean, #1 wind speed st. dev, .
99-08-27,21:00,69.40,13.20,11.81,1.44,8.99,1.50,254.57,161.27
99-08-27,21:10,69.40,13.20,11.87,1.59,10.56,-999,-999,10.62