Streamlined Site Assessment Methodology

The “Streamlined Site Assessment Methodology” (SSAM) is a superior approach to the traditional site assessment process developed at the Wind Energy Center.

Dr. Matthew A. Lackner developed it for his PhD dissertation. It combines new analysis approaches for site assessment, and new technical approaches to wind resource monitoring, and leverages the portability and hub height measurement capabilities of ground based remote sensing devices like Lidar and Sodar.

The new analysis approaches for wind energy site assessment are a method for site assessment uncertainty analysis and a decision making strategy to determine whether or not to stop measuring the wind resource at any point in the process. The new technical approaches for measuring the wind resource are used to measure multiple sites in a year using one ground-based device, or to improve shear extrapolation.

These new analysis approaches and technical monitoring strategies are unified into a comprehensive “Streamlined Site Assessment Methodology.” SSAM includes economic analysis of potential wind energy developments, including a rigorous assessment of the risk of a project. SSAM provides a flexible, unified approach for executing the site assessment process in which the specific priorities and constraints of the project dictate the resulting approach. This methodology can drastically alter and improve site assessment. A pdf version of Dr. Lackner’s dissertation is available here.