ESCO Technologies subsidiary NRG Systems has acquired portfolio of advanced Lidar technology developed by Pentalum, an Israeli company.
Image: NRG Systems to expand wind assessment services with new acquisition. Photo: Courtesy of Marlene Ortega Battifora/FreeImages.com.
Pentalum specialises in remote sensing solutions for wind measurement. The company has developed low-cost Lidar solutions which are used in operations, forecasting and research markets around the world.
As part of the deal, NRG Systems will be acquiring Pentalum’s Direct Detect Lidar technology which can deliver high precision and reliable Lidar at significantly lower cost compared to the conventional Doppler Lidar technologies.
This technology was deployed by Pentalum in their SpiDAR Vertical Wind Profiler back in 2012 and it is now being used across five continents.
NRG also stated that SpiDAR is a rugged product that can measure wind with high reliability and accuracy at the range of heights required by wind farms all over the world. When added to NRG’s met towers, SpiDAR is claimed to deliver high performance coupled with cost efficiency.
NRG Systems president Justin Wheating said: “NRG has played an active role in the global wind energy market for over three decades and we recognize the growing importance of Lidar in resource measurement and wind farm operations.
“Pentalum’s technology, when paired with NRG’s global sales and service capabilities, is a significant advantage for our customers, and a great new opportunity for customers who could not previously justify the high cost of Doppler Lidar solutions.”
To make the product a complete solution for customers around the world, NRG also stated that it will work with its global partner network to provide sales, technical support and integrated services such as remote power supply.
Wheating continued saying: “Our customers have been asking us for a full service, integrated wind measurement solution that includes the latest tower based and remote sensing capabilities and we now have that for them.”
The new SpiDAR units are expected to be shipped early next year.