Optimal Numerical-Weather-Prediction Parameters for Wind-Power Forecasting

BC Hydro purchases power from four independent wind farms in British Columbia to supplement their hydropower. But wind is not steady, so BC Hydro must compensate for shortfalls or excesses in wind power to provide steady, reliable, economical power to its customers. To achieve this reliability, BC Hydro uses wind forecasts provided by the University of British Columbia (UBC). These forecasts are made with computer codes called Numerical Weather Prediction models that describe atmospheric airflow, but each model has a range of options. This project will experiment with different model options to achieve the best wind forecasts. Intern 2 will test different representations of the bottom part of the atmosphere where wind turbines are located. Intern 1 will evaluate whether resolving the finer details of wind shifts with altitude are worth the extra computation time. Intern 3 will identify the best starting data for each forecast.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Roland Stull

Student:

Banafshah Afshar, David Siuta & Jesse Mason

Partner:

BC Hydro

Discipline:

Geography / Geology / Earth science

Sector:

Energy

University:

University of British Columbia