The Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWIFT) facility will allow wind turbine developers to test and measure, how multiple wind turbine interact with one another in a wind farm paving the way for reduced aerodynamic losses and turbine damage while enhancing energy capture.
Wind energy developer Vestas and clean energy development company Group NIRE are the other partners in the venture.
DoE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will invest $2.6m into the facility that will initially be equipped with two research-scale wind turbines.
A third wind turbine will be installed by Vestas R&D in Houston, Texas for the facility expected to be operational in the latter half of 2012.
