EMD International A/S, Aalborg February, 2018

QUICK GUIDE – START USING WINDPRO 3.2

Purpose: Then follow the instructions on the screen.

To get started using windPRO 3.2. 2. STARTING YOUR PROJECT

Some basic features are presented to give an idea of the Opening windPRO will show you the start-up screen:
workflow and the interactions between maps, objects,
tools and calculation modules.

Outline of Guide:
1. Installation and activation

2. Start – create project with background map

and elevation data

3. Design wind farm and study it

4. Prepare for a calculation

5. Perform a calculation

6. The objects in windPRO The globe shows the projects located on your PC (or
server) and each project can be opened by double
1. INSTALLATION AND ACTIVATION clicking it. Recent projects are listed to the left.

This quick guide shows how to create a project from

Link for installation file is found at:
scratch, not using the wizard.
http://www.emd.dk/windpro/downloads/
First, click the Create new project button and specify
Once installed, open Windows start menu and find where you want to save your windPRO project and all
windPRO 3.2 relevant data files:

Select your desired language and you will then be asked

for license file called WindPRO3.2.erf which can be
found on the WindPRO USB stick or in an email from EMD
([email protected]).

For newer versions 3.2, 3.3 etc. these will replace 3.1.

Click Save and next you will start selecting the geographic
location for the project:

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Quick Guide – START with windPRO 3.2

then save and import from here by the Google overlay

importer.

In this example, we choose Online Map (BMI), and select

an Ordinance Survey: OpenData map.

You can specify the location of your site by entering

coordinates or using the map tool as background for fine
tuning the position.

On the coordinate system tab, select the preferred

system (the one you typical have coordinate info from):

Zoom to the desired area and click Save as BMI. This will
download the image and add it as a background map.

Many more maps are available. If you choose a Dynamic

map, the maps are downloaded on the fly at many zoom
levels. The content may change by location and over time
(See more information here and here).

Clicking OK, will take you to the windPRO main window.

Different window arrangements can be imported using

the Arrange button in the top and you can create your
own prefered window layouts:
Next step is importing background maps:

In the Background maps tab, see which Online maps,

Now that you have created your project and loaded a
WMS and TMS server maps and/or Dynamic maps are
map, it is time to import the most necessary data for your
available for your project region. Your own digital maps
project, like elevation data.
(e.g. scanned) can also be georeferenced here or you can
use Google Earth for georeferencing (add image layer),

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Quick Guide – START with windPRO 3.2

Start by creating a new layer by clicking on the icon

in the object layer window:

Name the layer “Elevation data”.

Now click on the symbol for Elevation Data as Grid :

Pick the data source you find most suitable. The data is
often country specific, and may not always cover your
site (See more info here). SRTM or ViewFinder will
together cover almost all the world.

Alternatively, choose the one above for contour data.

Place the symbol by left-clicking on the map (for this

object type, the position is not important).

Once placed on the map, the properties window opens:

Here SRTM 1 arc has been downloaded for 20 x 20 km.

Now your “working environment” is established and the

project development can start.

From here you can add your own elevation data, or

simply use the Online data provided with windPRO.

Choose Add layer from Online data

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Quick Guide – START with windPRO 3.2

3. DESIGN WIND FARM AND STUDY IT

windPRO offers to work 2 kinds of turbine:

New wind turbines The default hub height for this turbine is 60 meters.
Existing wind turbines Click Ok and click on the map to add the remaining
This distinction is convenient when e.g. an existing wind turbines. End with a right click:
farm is to be expanded. Then the new turbines are
separately reported in documentations, while keeping
the influence from the existing turbines. The existing
turbine object can also store data on actual production.

On the image shown above, an existing wind farm is

shown on the background map. We will now put existing
turbine objects on each symbol at the background map.
It’s a good idea to create a new layer for these turbines.

To “multi create” objects with the same properties, hold

down the <SHIFT> key when clicking on the object
in the menu bar.

When adding the first “Existing WTG” on the map, the

WTG selection form appears. To view all turbines in the
Catalogue, choose More WTGs from the dropdown.

If one turbine is misplaced, simply click on it for selection,

then drag with the mouse or use the arrow keys on your
Then the wind turbine catalogue appears:
keyboard.

If you need to change the hub height or other properties

for multiple turbines, simply select them in the object list
like you select in Windows explorer, right-click and select
Edit selected objects.

Choose All in left panel, then find the BONUS 1.3 MW

(which is the actual turbine used in this project).

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Quick Guide – START with windPRO 3.2

Here the turbine structures (foundations, roads etc.) can

be seen on the google map, it is therefore easy to
evaluate if the turbine positions are correct. You can also
make them rotate in Google Earth by clicking the play
button in the upper left corner:

Another interesting view tool is the 3D viewer:

Here the site can be viewed exagerated and it is thereby

possible to study how the terrain elevation differs at the
different turbine positions:

If you would like to see the selected turbines in Google

Earth (if installed), simply right-click the selected turbine
and select Export and Export to Google Earth kmz-file.

The turbines vizualized in Google Earth:

4. PREPARE FOR A CALCUL ATION

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Quick Guide – START with windPRO 3.2

Most calculation types require extra data, most often The point and the area is here seen in rosa colors. This
entered by objects. This section will illustrate how to can be edited.
prepare for a noise calculation (DECIBEL module).

The Noise Sensitive Area (NSA) object, holds the

information on neighbors, such as coordinates and noise
demands.

The NSA object can either be a point or an area. Click on

the NSA object, then on map where the neighbor is
located. If the neighbor is a point, double click on the
map. If an area, clicking once, and then draw a polygon.
When a NSA is established, this form appears:

By setting a distance demand, this can be shown on the

map. Here 400 m for the point and 600 m for the village
is set. The point color can be changed to turquoise, so
that neighbors can be grouped e.g. by noise demands.

5. PERFORM A CALCULATIO N

From the Modules window, a calculation can be started.

For several countries, specific regulations are available in

windPRO, like here for the UK. These appear
automatically based on the country of the site.

The main input needed here is the Ambient noise at a

wind speed range from 4-12 m/s. Also distance demands
can be entered.

First point at “Kidshield”. Next the village is digitised.

The green arrow shows that the module is licenced; non-
licensed has yellow arrows. Double-click on the DECIBEL
module and the calculation setup appears:

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Quick Guide – START with windPRO 3.2

Report: Example on detailled results for the one of the

By default, everything is set up to be ready to go. When neighbors calculated.
more different project designs or more specialized
calculations are needed, there might be needs for special
selections. Start the calculatation by clicking OK.

After calculation has ended, the “report tree” appears:

Report: Finally an example of a noise map at a specific

wind speed.
Double-clicking on e.g. Main Results opens the report:
The reports from windPRO are generelly accepted as
documentation of environmental impact by the
authorities, like the energy calculation reports are
accepted by the investors.

With windPRO you will have the most comprehensive

wind farm project development tool. The development is
driven by active users and by highly experienced personal
at EMD that has been in the wind business for several
decades.

Report: Part of the Main result page, with all the most
important assumptions and results.

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Quick Guide – START with windPRO 3.2

6. THE OBJECTS IN WINDPRO (DATA CONTAINERS)

New WTG – creates a single WTG or row with equal spacing. Link to the comprehensive WTG
catalogue, where all data for energy, noise, flicker, visualization and economic is/can be given.

Existing WTG – actual energy production can be added and used to compare with calculated in
e.g. Performance Check module. Existing WTGs has another status in calculation than new WTGs
and is grouped separately in the PARK print out.

Park Design – Only available with OPTIMIZE license. Create large wind farm layouts with multiple
rows in strictly geometric patterns (for example off-shore). Together with the WTG area object,
the Park design object can "auto-realize" WTGs limited to non-restricted areas.

WTG Area – Creates boundaries for WTG projects. For each section design options can be set such
as number of WTGs, installed power and minimum distance requirements. Used by OPTIMIZE and
as multi-purpose object for defining sites.

Line Object – makes it possible to digitize/edit contour lines on-screen for use as digital height
contour lines, roughness lines etc. The Line Object can import lines from different databases/file
formats.

Elevation Grid Object – allows for importing irregular grid data (elevation) and comprehensive
graphical representation of elevation data.

Area Object – For digitizing areas (polygons), e.g. forests, water, cities, farmland. The data can be
used for multiple purposes; export of roughness lines, for ZVI, forest model etc.

Meteo Object – to import or enter measured wind data for generating wind statistics or directly
for energy calculation based on the measured wind data. Plenty of data import and analysis
features.

WAsP Obstacle– to be used in energy calculations using WAsP as calculation engine.

Site Data – input of local terrain (roughness etc.) and regional wind statistics. When WAsP is
connected, it is possible to link digital height contour maps and roughness lines. Used for ATLAS,
WAsP interface, RESOURCE and PARK).

Noise Sensitive Area – for calculation of noise (DECIBEL or NORD2000) at specific positions
(neighbors).

Shadow Receptor – for calculation of flickering (SHADOW) at specific positions (neighbors).

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Quick Guide – START with windPRO 3.2

Camera Object – contains all data for a PHOTOMONTAGE, position and photo direction, the
background photo, the camera parameters (focal length, film format), weather conditions etc.

Control Point – to be used when calibrating camera models for PHOTOMONTAGE but also as
multi-purpose object for reference points.

3D-visualization Object – makes it possible to render figures drawn in SketchUp (*.DAE files) into
a photomontage or 3D-animation.

VR object (3D animation) – contains all data for a 3D-Animation, like size of area, sky background,
surface texture etc.

Radar object – for defining radar positions and restrictions by ZVI calculations

e-Grid objects – Create electrical lines, bus bars, transformers and loads for electrical calculations.

Ruler object – Create a measure tool for distance measurements. Basis for terrain profile.

Shape tool – draw a rectangle or circle on the map as support for layout or measuring. The tools
can be used for other features like the terrain profile.

Text object – Create a text on the background map.

Road object – Create roads and calculate dig/fill and cost of roads. Optimization functions for
minimizing costs included. Can also be used as an advanced measuring object and terrain profile
viewer for fully flexible tracks.

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