IEA Wind TCP Task 54

Cold climate regions represent a growing share of the global wind market, with an estimated 208 GW of installed capacity by 2024. The IEA Wind TCP Task 54 focuses on the unique atmospheric and operational challenges present in those cold climate regions.

Cold climate sites are defined as those that experience either icing events or temperatures lower than the operational limits of standard wind turbines. Low temperature sites require special solutions to keep turbines operating. In icing conditions, a combination of low temperatures and liquid water in the atmosphere results in ice accretion on surfaces, such as wind turbine blades, towers and nacelle. Blade icing results in loss of lift and increase in drag, resulting in reduced energy production. Icing can increase mechanical loads on the turbine, vibrations in structures and noise. In addition, ice on the blades, nacelles and towers can present a health and safety risk, due to ice falling off or being thrown from the blades. Finally, due to the growing installed capacity, icing events are starting to have systemwide effects in deregulated markets, which fosters the need to improve the performance of forecasts and understanding of the impact of icing events beyond the wind farm.

The task promotes collaboration between the participating countries, research institutions and industry leaders. Task 54 aims to advance industry practices by gathering large-scale experimental data and developing tools that can facilitate the deployment of wind energy in cold climate and improve turbine resilience in cold conditions. By supporting the development of tools like the ice loss tool and industry guidelines like the performance warranty guidelines, Task 54 is ensuring that wind farms in cold climates can operate more effectively and with greater reliability.