Evaluation of the wind farm parameterization in the Weather Research and Forecasting model (version 3.8.1) with meteorological and turbine power data | CU Experts

Abstract. Forecasts of wind power production are necessary to facilitate the integration of wind energy into power grids, and these forecasts should incorporate the impact of wind turbine wakes. This paper focuses on a case study of four diurnal cycles with significant power production, and assesses the skill of the wind farm parameterization (WFP) distributed with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model version 3.8.1, as well as its sensitivity to model configuration. After validating the simulated ambient flow with observations, we quantify the value of the WFP as it accounts for wake impacts on power production of downwind turbines. We also illustrate that a vertical grid with nominally 12-m vertical resolution is necessary for reproducing the observed power production, with statistical significance. Further, the WFP overestimates wake effects and hence underestimates downwind power production during high wind speed and low turbulence conditions. We also find the WFP performance is independent of atmospheric stability, the number of wind turbines per model grid cell, and the upwind-downwind position of turbines. Rather, the ability of the WFP to predict power production is most dependent on the skill of the WRF model in simulating the ambient wind speed.;

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