SOMERVILLE, Mass., April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- As Poland's wind energy industry accelerates its new project development initiatives to meet European Union mandates and exploit the country's promising wind resources, project developers are being offered expanded access to technology that will help drive the development process. The global renewable energy consulting firm Wind Prospect will be taking delivery of two Second Wind Triton® Sonic Wind Profilers this month to provide developers in Poland's growing wind power market with fast, economical access to hub-height wind measurements.

Wind Prospect will make Second Wind's Triton sodar system available through rental contracts. The rental option enables developers to collect wind data using the wind industry's market-leading remote sensing technology under flexible financing terms. Most of the world's leading wind developers already use Triton to measure wind resources across the full swept area of the turbine's rotor, reducing uncertainty in hub height wind speeds and enhancing project financing terms. Wind Prospect will initially be using these two Tritons to support five wind development projects in Poland.

Poland has vast onshore and offshore wind resources and is doubling its wind power capacity every year. Spurred by its own economic growth and European Union renewable energy mandates, Poland is predicted to expand its wind power twentyfold by 2020.

"Using Second Wind's Triton, we are able to offer developers a simple, reliable and cost-effective means of collecting data at hub height either to supplement data from an on-site mast or for early stage site prospecting," says Gabriel Amiel, Commercial Manager for Wind Prospect. "In particular, many wind developers are seeking to increase the value of their projects by measuring wind speeds at 120 meters or more for a few months and correlating this with the data from their mast. A Triton is the ideal technology for this."

Wind Prospect gained experience with Triton from using it on international wind power projects in Europe, Australia and North America.

"Wind Prospect has accumulated extensive experience in analyzing Triton data for more than two years," said Jason Wood, Second Wind's director of European sales. "We have a high level of confidence in Wind Prospect's understanding of the use of Triton throughout all phases of wind farm development, including site selection and data analysis. This experience delivers maximum value to our customers in their use of Tritons as part of an integrated wind assessment campaign."

Triton is an advanced remote sensing system that uses sodar (sound detection and ranging) technology to measure wind in the areas that most affect a wind turbine's performance. By measuring wind speeds at the turbine rotor's hub height and beyond, Triton reduces uncertainty in annual energy production (AEP) forecasts. Easy to install and capable of autonomous operation, Tritons are being used throughout the wind industry, alone or in conjunction with met towers, to streamline the wind farm development process and to improve wind farm operations.

"Wind Prospect is filling an important niche in Poland's wind energy market by providing Tritons to developers through rental agreements," Wood said. "Wind developers have to figure their budgets very closely in the prospecting and assessment phases, and there sometimes isn't room for equipment purchases. Renting is the perfect solution."

About Second Wind

Second Wind develops wind measurement systems that enhance the value of wind energy for consumers, investors and the environment. The company's technology provides wind farm developers with dependable wind data they need to plan, finance and operate highly efficient wind generation facilities. Second Wind's systems are making wind farm development profitable in 50 countries on seven continents. Second Wind's systems include Triton®, the wind industry's leading remote sensing system, Nomad® 2 wind data logger systems, the ProMast™ 60, a 60-meter meteorological mast and the SkyServe® web-based data service. For more information about Boston-based Second Wind, please visit www.secondwind.com.

About Wind Prospect

Wind Prospect is one of the most successful independent renewable energy consultancies in the world and has played a major role in the development of wind energy onshore and offshore internationally. Wind Prospect has been involved in the wind industry since its inception in Europe, and is a major player in the wind energy sector in the UK, Ireland, Canada, France, China and Australia.

SOURCE Second Wind