The National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) has invited tenders for sensors and data loggers with accessories to assess wind and solar resources across the country. The scope of work includes the supply and delivery of anemometers, wind vanes, temperature sensors with a radiation shield, pressure sensors, precipitation sensors or rain monitors, pyranometers, and data loggers with a communication device with spare 32 megabyte memory cards. The interested bidders are expected to make an earnest money deposit of Rs 910,000. The last date for the submission of bids is March 2, 2020.
Efforts towards the assessment of the country’s wind power potential have accelerated in recent years. The National Wind Monitoring Programme was launched in 1986 by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The programme was carried out by the Field Research Unit of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM-FRU), Pune. In 1998, IITM-FRU was merged with the NIWE, which is responsible for the majority of WRA work. So far, the NIWE has established 913 stations under the MNRE’s national monitoring scheme, and taken up 59 additional stations for private parties in consultancy mode. It also has a mandate to help developers and stakeholders verify the wind mast data collected by private stakeholders. The NIWE has undertaken WRA at a total of 2,038 wind mast locations across the country, at heights ranging from 20 metres to 120 metres. Using the data obtained from wind masts, the NIWE has published nine volumes of wind energy resource surveys. At present, 95 wind mast locations are in operation.