Katrick and Heriot-Watt collaborate on world-first wind-mapping software.

Katrick Technologies is developing an innovative new wind mapping software through its consortium with Edinburgh Airport and Heriot-Watt University. The novel software will allow modelling of data for ground-level winds, unlocking the possibility of capturing green energy from these untapped resources.

The software development is part of an ongoing wind mapping project with Edinburgh Airport. The project uses a number of sensors to collect data on wind speeds and frequencies at Edinburgh Airport. This data will inform a plan to capture this clean energy with a ground-breaking new Wind Panel designed by Katrick Technologies.

Katrick Technologies’ unique Wind Panel technology will capture wind energy at ground level compared to traditional turbines. The Wind Panel presents the possibility of harnessing wind at a wide variety of locations, including on roadsides, in urban areas and for use for micro-generation at facilities such as airports. A partnership between Katrick Technologies and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) will now develop a prototype of the technology to present to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and investors.

Traditional wind turbines already have software available for data modelling, but a bespoke platform is needed to bring Katrick’s Wind Panels to market. As the panels are deployed closer to the ground and are less restricted, the methodology differs and requires a new programme for measuring wind energy.

The software will be used for new wind projects to initially quantify the resource in a location and can then produce estimates on expected annual energy production. Heriot-Watt’s role includes expertise in the formulation of the quantification protocol and validation of the software and energy production. This will enable Katrick Technologies to make an exact prediction of the available wind resource, along with the potential power generation and costs.

The software will be a first in the market, with no existing technology focusing on these types of winds. The goal is to create a platform that is as user-friendly as possible, only requiring a basic knowledge of wind resource analysis. The software will have a simple interface that even those with no experience in programming can use, allowing the operator to simply upload data and input simple commands to run analyses and produce resource reports.

The project is currently under development, using valid data collected from four weather stations at Edinburgh Airport as a case study. The industry standard duration for a wind analysis project is a minimum of 12 months and the current case study is expected to finish in December 2023.

“This wind mapping software is a totally novel product with the potential to change the game in wind power,” said Vijay Madlani, CEO of Katrick Technologies. “Not only will this allow our customers to get the most out of our Wind Panels by maximising the amount of kinetic energy that they can capture, but it will also open the door for further innovation on unexploited renewable resources”.