U.S.-based wind tunnel achieves MEASNET certification

April 23, 2015 | by NRG Team Voices | Engineering + Technology

We have some exciting news: SOH Wind Engineering, LLC (SOH WE) has obtained MEASNET certification for their wind tunnel in Williston, Vermont. Located less than nine miles from our headquarters, this tunnel opened in early 2013 in response to our request for local calibration services.

As a result of the recent MEASNET certification, we now exclusively offer MEASNET-certified calibrations. In addition, we’re now able to consolidate the vast majority of our sensor calibrations to one location. This translates into numerous supply chain efficiencies—reinforcing our consistently short lead times and limiting our exposure to volatility in shipping costs.

The combination of this wind tunnel’s proximity to RNRG and its exceptionally large size offers several more advantages:

According to Svend Ole Hansen, owner of SOH WE: “Wind tunnel size matters because, for small wind tunnels, blockage and interference effects between the anemometer and tunnel boundaries are by far the largest source of bias and uncertainty. Large tunnels significantly reduce these sources of bias and uncertainty, and with a 2.5 m square test section they become negligible.”
In addition to great calibrations, this large tunnel allows for some unique and high quality research and development work, which is an exciting asset for RNRG.
SOH WE is the first wind tunnel in the United States to achieve MEASNET certification.

Questions + Answers

What is MEASNET?

MEASNET stands for the Measuring Network of Wind Energy Institutes. In simple terms, it’s a group of commercial institutions who continuously collaborate to ensure that each member offers measurements of equally high quality for the worldwide industry. Learn more about MEASNET.

I previously purchased SOH WE-calibrated sensors. Has the calibration process changed?

The calibration procedure hasn’t changed. SOH WE has been using the same procedure used by MEASNET since opening in 2013 (IEC 61400-12-1 Annex F). This change simply means that anemometers calibrated at SOH WE are now officially certified by MEASNET.

Will I still be able to purchase sensors calibrated at the SOH Copenhagen tunnel?

Yes, RNRG will still offer MEASNET anemometers calibrated at the SOH Copenhagen site on an as-needed basis. Keep in mind, however, that our supply will be greatest and most readily available for sensors calibrated at SOH WE in the U.S.

When will SOH WE MEASNET-calibrated sensors become available?

The exact transition date from SOH WE IEC-calibrated sensors to MEASNET-calibrated sensors depends on order levels, but it’s expected to take place around May 1st.