Vaisala Drives Forward Wind Energy’s Remote Sensing Revolution with Acquisition of Leosphere

Vaisala adds industry-leading LiDAR systems to its product portfolio, providing advanced tools for wind measurement in any market and any environment.

Vaisala, a global leader in environmental and industrial measurement, has announced the acquisition of Leosphere SAS, a world leader in ground-based and nacelle-mounted LiDAR equipment for the wind energy industry. As project developers and operators worldwide turn to remote sensing to capture wind data at today’s increasing hub-heights, the acquisition will see Leosphere’s Windcube and Wind Iris LiDARs join Vaisala’s Triton Wind Profiler as part of the market’s most comprehensive range of measurement equipment.

“The advantages and opportunities remote sensing units bring throughout the lifecycle of a modern wind farm are now well-understood. It is common practice for wind energy firms to deploy LiDAR and SoDAR to inform crucial decisions relating to site prospecting, resource assessment, and turbine performance testing,” said Jarkko Sairanen, Executive Vice President, Weather and Environment, Vaisala. “Adoption of these more versatile measurement technologies to augment conventional met towers is a key factor in enabling the wind industry to increase the scale of project development, not only through larger, more advanced turbines, but also in new, remote markets worldwide.”

A Complementary Product Portfolio

Vaisala’s customers can now benefit from a comprehensive product range that encompasses the Triton Wind Profiler – a robust and cost-effective SoDAR unit that has been deployed on nearly 5000 measurement campaigns worldwide – and the Windcube Vertical Profiler, the wind industry’s leading LiDAR system. The product range also includes the nacelle-mounted Wind Iris Power Optimization and Turbine Control units, specifically designed to help turbine owners increase efficiency in long-term wind energy production.

“The respective qualities of SoDAR and LiDAR are often weighed up against each other, but the fact is that both technologies have their place in a cost-effective, bankable wind measurement campaign,” Sairanen added. “We have often spoken of the remote sensing ‘revolution’ that is underway in the wind sector – and with this complementary product offering, we’re giving the industry the tools it needs to carry this out.”

The Windcube Vertical Profiler, Scanning Windcube, Wind Iris Power Optimization and Wind Iris Turbine Control units, along with the Triton Wind Profiler,are immediately available from Vaisala. Leosphere customers will see no change to the service they currently receive. For more information on the range of remote sensing equipment offered by Vaisala to the wind energy sector, please visit: www.vaisala.com/leosphere.

For further information on Vaisala’s acquisition of Leosphere SAS, please visit: Vaisala Acquires Leosphere SAS