Click on the picture to see a list of modules and their descriptions
Introduction
Modules
Price List
License Types and Terms
Ordering
Reference List
Downloads and Updates
Service and Support
System Requirements
News
Courses
Exhibitions
DocumentationNEW
Credit Card Payment
EMD Agencies
Frequently Asked Questions



General facilities 

What are the system requirements of WindPRO? 
WindPRO is a 32 bit program which can only run under Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 (Both 32 and 64 bit)

Hardware requirements: Min. 1 GHZ Pentium, 1 GB RAM, 1GB HD free space. Recommended is minimum 2 GHz processor, 2 GB RAM, 2 GB HD free space. Note that if you are running Windows Vista/7, a multi core CPU is highly recommended. For 3D-Animator Windows 2000/XP/Vista and 7, a 3D accelerated graphic card is required.

How to make an export of my project? 
1) Choose "Project" in the WindPRO main menu.
2) Choose "Export" - you should now see the following window:

The list will contain all the files connected to your project. Pressing the file name will select/deselect the files in your export. To make an export press "Export" and choose the location and file name for the export file.

How to register and activate WindPRO? 
 Open WindPRO and click on "Project" and then "Return to Main Menu"
Click "Options" and the "Registration. Click OK to register form A, or Cancel to browse to find the key.
After reading the key, the End User License Agreement must be accepted.
The activation starts automatically after reading the registration-key. 

 

Is it possible to insert objects from a spread-sheet into WindPRO? 

Yes, it is possible to copy-paste coordinates of several objects from a spread-sheet into the object list in WindPRO. All you need is two columns - the first with the east-coordinate and the second with the north-coordinate. It is very easy when working with metric coordinate systems.

The functionality can also be used to change a description of several objects. You simply copy the objects from the object list and paste into a spread-sheet. Make the changes and copy-paste the objects into WindPRO again (the first column to copy is the one containing the "Object-ID".)

Wind data analysis 

How many sectors in a wind data analysis can WindPRO handle? 
It is possible to handle up to 36 sectors, which can also be used with WAsP.

Energy calculation, STATGEN and WAsP 

What does the "Key numbers" in the bottom of the STATGEN printout mean? 

In the bottom of the STATGEN - main result you see a table like this:

The key numbers can be used to compare different wind statistics. Two wind statistics from the same site should have nearly the same energy content. If this is not the case further analyses should be made to figure which one of the wind statistics to use.

The percentage is a relative number based on what the wind energy / WTG energy would have been in a flat uniform landscape with roughness class 1 and 50 meters hub height.

 

What does this STATGEN error message mean? 

An error has occurred in WindPRO module "Calc 1": I/O 103 error"

It could be due to an error in METEO data object - e.g. that one sector has no Weibull fit. So check the METEO data object in the tab sheet "Weibull" to see if there are any zeros.

BUT: It is not always enough to correct this. When this error occurs, some temporary files that WAsP uses will get locked. A restart of WindPRO should unlock these files. Some times a restart of Windows is needed, and in really rare cases, the temporary files need to be found and deleted manually.

The WAsP temp-files are named with "$"-signs as extension - they are in the temp-folder. Normally they are placed in the folder c:temp, but it depends on the Windows set-up and how WAsP is installed on the specific computer.

The files to delete are:

Height contours / line object 

How to load a digital height model into WindPRO? 

There are several possibilities to attach a digital height model into WindPRO. WindPRO is working with height contour lines and can import following file formats:

*.wpo - internal WindPRO-format. It is recommended to convert all height contour files to this format after the digital height model has been loaded into WindPRO.
*.map - the normal WAsP height contour file.
*.dxf - the Autodesk dxf file format. The file may only contain poly lines.
*.ntf - a height contour format used by the British Ordinance Survey.
*.shp - a very common format for GIS-data. Used in every ESRI software like Arc View etc.
*.gtx - a height contour format used by the Danish Ordinance Survey (KMS).

The procedure in attaching a height model to a project is to insert a line object - set the purpose to "Height contours" and the press "Load".

How far from a site do I have to digitise my height contours? 

The recommendation by EMD is to digitise the height contours in a distance of 5.000 m of every single turbine and/or measuring mast.

How to move my map while digitising? 

By holding the middle mouse button down while digitising it is possible to move the map without having to stop the digitising.

Procedure for converting WAsP map files to dxf files 
Preliminary remarks:

Follow the procedure below:

  1. Install the old DOS WAsP version directly in a file in the root e.g. C:WAsP4 using Install.exe or Unpack.exe
  2. Copy/paste the map file to be converted into the same folder
  3. Start DOS WAsP and write ORO to enter height contour mode
  4. Write MAPDATA to be able to load a map file
  5. Write RELOAD and then the file name (remember it's a DOS program and therefore only 8 characters are allowed in a filename)
  6. Write DISPLAY to view the file and check whether it looks correct. When you've checked it click on Esc
  7. Write DUMP and when prompted for a filename write: ***.DXF (the filename you want instead of ***).
  8. In order to leave DOS WAsP: Write RETURN followed by enter twice. Write STOP and you are out

The map file is now converted to a DXF file and located in C:WASP

Isolating height contour lines in AutoCAD 

Follow the below procedure in AutoCAD when you want to eliminate all layers except height contours in an AutoCAD file

  1. Open your drawing in AutoCAD
  2. Check that you can read the properties of each height contour line. Write LIST and try to point at one of the lines. That should give you a listing of properties. If not try to EXPLODE the drawing and try again
  3. Close all layer except height contours
  4. Write WBLOCK
  5. Define the name of the new drawing (the wblock)
  6. Skip the blockname
  7. Define insertion point to 0,0
  8. Open the new drawing in AutoCAD. All hidden layers are now "pealed" off
  9. Export the height contours to *.DXF AutoCAD 14 or 12 format
  10. This file can now be imported in WindPRO

Maps and coordinate systems 

Creation of a local coordinate system 

To create a local coordinate system you must know one or three points in your local coordinate system and the corresponding values in a global coordinate system. It is also possible to make a local coordinate system without knowing the precise match between point in the local system and the global systems - but then it is not possible to insert data points from other sources such as a GPS.

The procedure is as follows:
1) Choose "Local" at the tab-sheet "Coordinate system" in "Project properties".
2) Insert one or three corresponding points in the table.

3) A more comprehensive explanation of the subject can found in the WindPRO manual.

Download of satellite images for use in WindPRO 

Guide for Adding Free Satellite Images as Background Maps in WindPRO

Several free sources of relative high-resolution satellite images now exist on the Internet. These images are available in a resolution down to approximately 15-30 meters per pixel, thus opening for the possibility to identify details as large roads and houses. In WindPRO these photos may be used as background maps and as nice textures for virtual reality presentations (3d animator).

Brief on Satellite Imaging and Remote Sensing:
Many of the free satellite photos come from the Landsat Series of Satellites, where the images of an area are not recorded in true colors. The satellite carries a camera instrument that records images of the Earth using different filters (wave lengths). The Landsat TM (thematic mapper) instrument on Landsat 5 used seven different bands, each sensible to the different parts of the reflected solar energy. It is possible to convert individual bands into either true color pictures or artificial (false) color pictures. The option of using artificial color pictures are widely used within the field of remote sensing, i.e. when studying changes in global vegetation, pollution etc.

Processing satellite data from NASA ESAD:
This dataset covers the whole earth except the northern Siberia in a 30-meter resolution. The images are in false color but are looking very nice (see the picture from WindPRO on this page).

  1. Open your web browser to the NASA ESAD location: https://zulu.ssc.nasa.gov/mrsid/
  2. Locate your site by clicking the map and choose to select image. Finally download the file using the MrSID format (a geo-referenced image format). The files are approximately 30 Mb in size.
  3. Get the software for extracting a GEO-TIF file from the MrSID images. A free tool - the MrSID GeoViewer 2.1 - can be downloaded from http://www.lizardtech.com (go to the download section).
  4. Open the MrSID image file using the MrSID GeoViewer.
  5. Zoom to your area. Click the export button. Choose to export as a TIFF image.
  6. Now export again (do not change the area selection). Select to export as a world file (*.tfw).
  7. If you are not pleased with the coloring of the picture, then you may now edit the image in a editor like Paint Shop Pro (Shareware from: http://www.jasc.com)
  8. Open WindPRO; add your image as a GEO-file. The coordinate system is UTM WGS84 with the appropriate zone. Note that you need both the TIF file and the world file.

Processing satellite data from University of Maryland Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF):
This dataset covers the most of the earth, holding data from several satellites. For some parts of the world, it is possible to acquire data with a 15-meter resolution (requires some data processing). The detailed images are saved in bands, thus requiring data processing to obtain true or false color images.

  1. Open your web browser to CLCF: http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu. Go to the data section and find/click the Landsat data. The Landsat 4+5 TM data covers most areas. Search your data through the map interface.
  2. Zoom to your area of interest. When your area holds less than 300 images, then you are able to preview, browse and download the actual image files (click the preview and download button). Note that the files may appear in grey scale.
  3. Now download the files for the image you want. Each image may hold up to 10 files or more (depended on the number of bands recorded). Note that the pictures are very large > 15 Mb each.
  4. Now you need to combine the different bands into a color image. This can be done in Paint Shop Pro, following the guidelines available through http://www.terrainmap.com/rm29.html#HSL. Otherwise, you may choose to use a single grey-scale picture.
  5. Now cut out and save a smaller image covering your area (using Paint Shop Pro).
  6. Open WindPRO and add the file as a geo referenced new map.
  7. You will have to identify the position of three known points on your map in order to add the map in WindPRO (see the WindPRO manual for further details).

Further reading / resources:
Resource on terrain mapping: http://www.terrainmap.com An Introductory Landsat Tutorial:
https://zulu.ssc.nasa.gov/mrsid/tutorial/Landsat%20Tutorial-V1.html

WindPRO changes the colors of my maps! 

One way to solve this is (recommended) always to reduce your map to 256 colors (before using them).

Another "automatic" way could be to change following in registration database:
Simply add the line "ColorReduceFlag" in the part seen (...EMDWindPRO 2.4 MapDef) in bottom of the screen below and set it to 32

To enter the registration database, chose "Run" and type "regedit"

Procedure for extraction of bitmap files from German Top 50 CD's 

  1. Install Top 50 for the relevant county
  2. Insert CD for the relevant county and search for the name of the closest village or city under the icon ABC
  3. Choose map scale using "Kartenauswahl" and thereafter "Kartenwerke". As an alternative use the two magnifying glass icons furthest to the left.
  4. Choose coordinate system (and preferably gridlines) from "Einstellungen"
  5. Click on "Drucken" and choose: "Fläche über Koordinateneingabe"
  6. Specify the coordinates of the two corners defining the requested bitmap. The first corner is the Northwest corner of the map "Eingabe obere linke ecke". The second corner is the South-East corner of the map "Eingabe untere rechte ecke"
  7. Select thereafter "Masstabsbalken" in order to have the scale on the bitmap
  8. Now choose: "Maßstabsgerecht nach aktueller Karte" and click on "Seitenansicht" (which means preview. You don't have to actually print the map. The bitmap is now dumped to your hard disc.
  9. On my PC the bitmap file is dumped to the library: C:Documents and Settingslars.EMDDOMLocal SettingsTemp as a geo*.tmp file (which is a regular unreduced BMP file). You might have to search for large files or *.tmp files using e.g. the advanced search options of Microsoft explorer.
  10. The file can be renamed *.bmp file. Now it's important to color reduce it to 256 colors and save it as a *.pcx file e.g. in PaintShop or Adobe Photoshop. You won't loose any information but significantly reduce the file size.
  11. The file is now ready to Geo-reference in WindPRO.

Zones of visual influence (ZVI) 

Calculation of grouped ZVI from several independent wind farms. 

It is sometimes necessary to calculate a ZVI map of how many wind farms it is possible to see from any given point, where each group of wind turbines counts with a value of 1. This is not (yet) a direct possibility in WindPRO, but until such a facility has been made the following can be used as a workaround.

  1. Calculate a ZVI for each wind farm covering exactly the same area. The best is if the calculation is copied.
  2. In each calculation the result is saved as an .ear file.
  3. For each calculation set up an area object
  4. Set purpose to "Weighted WindPLAN"
  5. Import the .ear file as raster
  6. Assign the data to two groups: 1) 0 -1 turbines, 2) 1 - all turbines. Set the names of the two groups to 0 and 1.
  7. Export to shape format from the area object. Be sure that each set of result has the same size.
  8. Repeat this for each area object.
  9. The shape file output consists of three files: .shp, .shx and .dbf. All the .dbf files are opened in Excel.
  10. Create a new spreadsheet with one column called "Type". The value in each line is the sum of the same line in the other spreadsheets. This refers to a particular grid value.
  11. Save the spreadsheet in .dbf format
  12. Rename one of the .shp and .shx files to the name you gave the new .dbf file.
  13. Import this new shape file in a new area object in WindPRO. There should now be a category for each value of visible wind farms. Make these visible and assign a legend.
  14. The resulting ZVI can now be seen in the Maps and Objects window and a printout can, if needed, be generated through the Map Composer facility.

Photomontage and animation 

Guide to a good photomontage 

Questions about wind energy 

How far from the site do I have to make the roughness classification? 
The recommendation by EMD is to make the roughness classification in a distance of at least 20.000 m of every single turbine and/or measuring mast.

 

If you can't find a solution to your problem here or if you have a problem which could be interesting for others to have a solution for - please contact Thomas Sørensen, ts@emd.dk





Site map

EMD International A/S  Niels Jernes Vej 10  9220 Aalborg Ø Denmark  
Tel.: +45 9635 4444  Fax: +45 9635 4446  E-mail: emd@emd.dk