The IET is pleased to announce funding of $180,000 over three years for a research project aimed at improving the availability of wind data, modelling its evolution under the impact of climate change, and assisting decision-making on the siting of wind energy production facilities. The team is being led by two researchers from Polytechnique Montréal, Elmira Hassanzadeh, associate professor in the Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, and Julie Carreau, assistant professor in the Department of Mathematics and Industrial Engineering, and by a researcher from Concordia University, Ali Nazemi, associate professor in the Department of Building, Civil and Environmental Engineering. The aim of the project is to introduce multiple innovations to enhance the reliability and consistency of this energy source, from identifying optimal sites for wind farms to improving operational practices related to wind energy production.

The main objective of this project is to fill the gaps in historical in situ wind data and in the modelling technologies available to project and forecast wind, thereby deepening our understanding of climate dynamics and its influence on wind generation. In addition, the development of new ML/AI (Machine Learning / Artificial Intelligence) algorithms will improve wind forecasting at fine temporal and spatial resolutions, boosting the operational efficiency of wind energy installations.