IEA Wind TCP

Numerous cold climate sites around the world offer great wind energy potential in demanding winter climates. Activities have been conducted in a number of countries to master the difficulties that atmospheric icing and low temperatures pose for wind energy technology. The installed cumulative wind capacity in cold climates across Scandinavia, North America, Europe, and Asia, was approximately 127 GW at the end of 2015, with an expected growth
rate of approximately 12 GW per year until 2020 [1]. Increased experience, knowledge, and improvements in cold climate technology have enabled the economics of cold climate wind projects to become more competitive in relation to standard wind projects. The internationally accepted procedures for testing and evaluating wind turbines or wind energy conversion systems encompass a variety of aspects. Although there is vast wind energy potential in cold climates, little attention has so far been paid to the environmental impacts of wind projects in these areas.

The large-scale exploitation of cold climate sites has been limited by our lack of knowledge about their special challenges and the lack of proven and economical technological solutions.

The purpose of this report is to provide the best available recommendations on this topic, reduce the risks involved in undertaking projects in cold climates, and accelerate the growth of wind energy production in these areas. This document addresses many special issues that must be considered over the lifetime of a cold climate wind energy project. The importance of site
measurements, project design, and system operation is emphasized

link to report