windNavigator Help
- Zoom to a point of interest:
- Use your mouse to click anywhere on the map frame or,
- Explore the wind map by entering your location in the box provided. Accepted inputs include: latitude and longitude coordinates in decimal degrees or degrees, minutes, seconds, and street address.
When you select a location, the application will automatically zoom to that spot. A push pin will appear and the coordinates will be displayed below.
- View your 2.5 km resolution wind speed for that location.
Your 2.5 km Wind Speed Values will be displayed in the informational box provided underneath the Google Map frame. This value is the mean annual wind speed at that location in meters per second.
- View the 200 m resolution wind speed range at that location.
The 200 m high-resolution Wind Speed Range will be displayed in the information box provided underneath the Google Map frame. The value represents the mean annual wind speed values in meters per second for the underlying, high-resolution, 200 m wind map. They are the minimum and maximum values that fall within that coarser 2.5 km grid cell.
- Change your hub height.
Select from one of three heights above ground level: 60, 80 and 100 meters by using the drop-down menu.
- Navigate the 2.5 km wind map using standard Google Maps tools.
- Zoom in or out by dragging the line up or down the scale bar. You may also click on either the plus or minus signs to zoom in or out, respectively.
- Pan by clicking the up, down, left, right buttons or by holding down your cursor and dragging the mouse.
- Zoom to the full extent of valid data in the US by clicking on the center button.
Please note that the wind map will disappear as you zoom in (beyond Google Maps zoom level 14).
- Toggle the display using standard Google Map overlays:
Click on either the Map, Satellite, Hybrid or Terrain buttons to change the underlying base map.
- Zoom in to a project area using the custom zoom tool.
Click on a single location or drag a box to define an area to zoom to. You may also return to previous view using the back button that will appear.
- Define your project area to purchase high-resolution 200 m maps and data.
- Enter your latitude and longitude (decimal degree) coordinates by entering them in the boxes under the Define tools, then click the Set Area button.
- Click on the Drag Area Box and use your mouse to select/adjust an area then click Set Area in the box, or
- Click on the Current View tool to capture the full extent of the Google Maps frame.
Once your area is defined, click the Set Area button in the box or on the button in the Define tools. Your coordinates will automatically be updated in the extent boxes provided. In addition, the total area (km2) of your defined region, as well as the appropriate UTM zone for your data will be provided in the Download box below.
To clear a selected area and empty the coordinate boxes, click the Clear Area button.
Please note that only valid area within the United States border will be calculated.
Please also note that if you select an area crossing multiple UTM zones, you may be asked to re-define your project area or contact AWST to make a custom purchase.
- Select your preferred deliverable for Download:
- Print PDF wind map at the currently selected height. You do have the ability to change this height in the payment processing section as well as to add a custom map title.
- GIS package including wind speed layers at all 3 standard hub heights as well as a print PDF map at the selected hub height.
To compare the deliverable options prior to proceeding with your order, click the Compare button. To proceed with your purchase, click the Proceed button.
- Use the Support tools for questions and feedback.
The maps delivered through windNavigator were created with AWS Truewind’s MesoMap® system, well known in the wind industry as the technology behind ground-breaking wind maps published for over 30 US states as well as many other countries. MesoMap is a combination of mesoscale and microscale atmospheric models. The mesoscale model simulates weather conditions for a representative meteorological year (366 days sampled from 15 years) on a horizontal grid of 2.5 km. Starting from an initial condition established by regional weather data, and using the complete set of physical equations governing the atmosphere, the model simulates the evolution of weather conditions from the start to end of each day in the year. The microscale model then refines the wind fields from the mesoscale model to capture the influence of fine-scale topography and surface roughness changes at a high resolution of 200 m.
The maps have subsequently been fine-tuned through an error-correction procedure developed by AWS Truewind, which uses data from over 1000 wind-monitoring stations from public and authorized private sources (the windObs Database). Incorporated in the initial conditions for the mesoscale simulations are weather observations from many thousands of platforms, including surface stations, instrumented balloons, satellites, aircraft, and others. These data have been assimilated into the NCAR/NCEP Global Reanalysis (NNGR) database, which provide a snapshot of weather conditions every 6 hours on a 2.5 degree resolution grid for nearly the past 60 years. Data from rawinsonde stations (instrumented balloons), as well as sea-surface temperatures, land cover, topography, and other geophysical data, also drive the simulations.
The error-correction procedure relies on data from over 1000 wind-monitoring stations in AWS Truewind’s windObs Database. The data have all been carefully screened, adjusted to represent historical average wind conditions where appropriate, and projected to the map height using a measured or estimated wind shear factor. In creating this database, AWS Truewind drew on a wide array of both public and authorized private sources. Included are hundreds of Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) weather stations, which are 10 m (33 feet) in height, as well as hundreds of tall towers ranging from 20 m (66 feet) to 100 m (328 feet) in height and instrumented expressly for wind resource assessment. Two hundred and seventy-five towers in the data base are taller than 30 m. There is an average of about one station every 100 km. However, the spatial distribution is uneven. The greatest concentrations of towers are in the Northeast, upper Midwest, California, and the Northwest. The lowest concentrations are in the Southwest and Southeast.
To produce a true estimate of the map error margin, AWS Truewind compiled the windObs Database, which uses data from over 1000 wind-monitoring stations from public and authorized private sources. Each station was withheld from the error-correction procedure and the map error (difference between the map speed and the observed speed) at that station was determined. Through this objective procedure, the mean bias of the high-resolution wind maps available for sale through windNavigator is found to be virtually zero, while the standard error (after accounting for uncertainty in the data) is about 0.35 m/s.
The standard error is the standard deviation of the map errors at the wind-monitoring stations in AWS Truewind’s windObs Database. Assuming these stations are representative of all locations in the wind map, and that the errors are normally distributed, the true mean speed should be within the standard error of the map speed in 68% of the mapped area. The error margin may vary, however, depending on the complexity of the terrain and surface conditions and on the density and quality of wind-monitoring stations in the surrounding region.
Compared to previous wind maps published by AWS Truewind, the standard error has been reduced from a typical range of 0.5-0.7 m/s to 0.35 m/s, or less than 5% for sites with a mean speed greater than 7 m/s. Overall, the estimated mean wind speeds in the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic States, and the Northwest have decreased compared to the previously published maps, while the speeds in the Plains states and the Southwest have increased.
See the scatter plot below comparing the predicted mean wind speeds with the observed after being projected to the same map height.
The free, 2.5 km resolution wind maps have a much greater error margin because of their coarse resolution. The estimated standard error for these maps is 0.75 m/s.
The best feature of windNavigator is your ability to purchase a high resolution (200 m) wind map over an area of your choosing. The map can be delivered either as a complete GIS dataset compatible with most mapping software programs or as a PDF map image. Details of each option include:
- PDF wind resource map. The maps indicate mean annual wind speed at one of three available hub heights: 60, 80, and 100 m. They include basemap layers such as administrative boundaries, roads, and water bodies. The map is based on an 11”x17” print area.
- GIS wind resource data. The GIS data set is an interactive option that allows you to customize views, incorporate other data layers (e.g. land parcels), and print maps at any scale using any GIS software. The data set includes mean annual wind speed layers at three standard hub heights (60 m, 80 m and 100 m), a gross capacity factor layer at 80 m based on a generic megawatt class turbine, and high resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and land cover data. Also included is a color-coded PDF map at the selected hub height, as mentioned above. The GIS data comes in a universal GeoTIFF format and appropriate Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) zone projection.
Optional vector basemap layers are available with the GIS package at no additional cost. They cover the entire United States and include information such as administrative boundaries, major roads, water bodies, federal lands, urban areas, etc. The data is available in shapefile format.
For a printable PDF version of the product deliverables, click on the Compare button under the Download tools.
To download a sample PDF map or GIS dataset for a small 100 km2 area, click on the Samples button in under the Support section.
Please also note that if you do not have your own GIS software, we have provided a link to an open source application available to the public. The web link to download the MapWindow GIS viewer can be found under the Samples tab of the Support tools.
The windNavigator application stores its 200 m, high-resolution wind maps in a Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) projection based on the WGS84 datum, spanning 10 zones across the United States. These grids overlap to accommodate project areas that may fall on the border of two different zones.
However, Google Maps requires all data to be stored in a Geographic coordinate system (latitude/longitude) for viewing. As such, your project area will be defined in latitude and longitude coordinates as displayed in the Define coordinate boxes provided. In order to determine the cost for your project and to clip the actual data for PDF and GIS delivery, the coordinates will be projected to UTM in the most appropriate zone for your project area.
Please note that for projects spanning multiple UTM zones, a special coordinate system may be required to minimize distortion of the data. If you receive an error message indicating such a situation, please contact AWS Truewind directly to customize your order.
The first step to making a purchase of the 200 m, high-resolution data is to select your project area boundary using Define tools outlined in the Help menu section titled “How to Navigate the Application.” As indicated in this section, your project area and appropriate UTM zone will be populated in the Download section. Click the radio button for the product you’d like to purchase and click on the Proceed button. A description of these products can either be found in the Help menu section titled “Product Deliverables” or by clicking on the Compare button to view a printable summary comparing the products.
Once you have defined your project area and selected your preferred deliverable, the purchasing process is completed in four steps.
Step 1.
- Reconfirm your product deliverables:
- Enter a map title for your PDF map.
- Confirm the product, coordinates and UTM zone for your area.
- Please note that there is a minimum purchase area of 100 km2. For smaller areas, the base fees will apply.
- Select a hub height for your PDF map. The default height will be based on the height previously viewed in the windNavigator application.
- Review the total purchase price for your product
- If you are purchasing a GIS dataset, determine whether or not you would like to include the basemap vector layers.
- Review and accept the Terms & Conditions.
- Populate your contact information.
- Select you preferred payment option:
- Credit card: Mastercard, Visa, American Express or Discover
- Purchase order: Required for orders over $10,000, or orders from international clients. This option can be selected for orders that do not meet this criterion as well if your company prefers this method. You will be contacted directly by an account representative to proceed with this payment option. You will also be asked to fill out a form for automatic submission.
- Indicate whether or not you would like to receive e-mail announcements regarding windNavigator updates or new products.
Step 2. Input Billing information and additional pertinent information depending on your preferred payment method.
Step 3. Review your order details and process your order.
Step 4. Print your receipt. You may return to the windNavigator application by clicking on the button provided.
Upon completion of this order, you will be sent an e-mail confirming the purchase and any charges that may have been applied to a credit card.
All credit card purchases will be handled by Authorize.net, a secure gateway for processing this information.
For all orders submitted via a purchase order, one of our account representatives will contact you as soon as possible, within 1-3 business days.
You will receive an email confirming your order once you have completed a purchase. Once payment has been received, your order will be processed and you will receive a follow-up email with a download link to retrieve your file. To protect your purchase, you will also be provided with a password to unlock your .zip file.
The time required to deliver your file will depend on the size of your purchase and your preferred payment method. Typically most project-scale purchases will be delivered within the hour. In the event that your order will require more than 48 hours to process, you will be contacted by an AWS Truewind representative.
Files will be available for download for up to 30 days. Should you require that your purchase be re-submitted, a fee of $150 will apply for a PDF purchase and $300 for a GIS purchase. To re-submit an order, please contact us directly at billing@awstruewind.com or by calling +1 (518) 213-0044.
We apologize in advance for any issues you may be having while attempting to download your file. We’d be happy to assist you as soon as possible.
Please contact us Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 AM and 5 PM Eastern Standard Time at +1 (518) 213-0044 for technical assistance. You can also send an email anytime, we will respond in the order of receipt: windNavigator@awstruewind.com.
For payment processing issues, please e-mail billing@awstruewind.com.
The 2.5 km resolution freely available wind map is intended to provide a general indication of the wind resource over large areas, and should not be used to design wind projects or to estimate energy production. For further information on services that address wind project design and energy production, please visit the Services section of our website or contact us.
The 200 m high-resolution wind map is intended mainly for site screening, conceptual plant design, and preliminary estimates of energy production. For applications requiring greater accuracy, the wind resource estimates should be confirmed by measurement. For information on AWS Truewind’s wind resource assessment campaign management services, contact us at windnavigator@awstruewind.com or call +1(518) 213-0044.
For technical questions about windNavigator, or other products and services, email us: windnavigator@awstruewind.com or call us: +1-518-213-0044.
For billing inquiries regarding a windNavigator purchase, e-mail us at billing@awstruewind.com.
Customer feedback is always welcome. Please use the feedback link on the windNavigator page and tell us how we can continue to make this tool more useful to you.