Xcel Energy expanded an agreement with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) for renewable energy forecasting. In the next two years, NCAR scientists and engineers will develop custom forecasting systems to enable Xcel Energy control centers in Minneapolis, Denver, Golden, Colo., and Amarillo, Tex., to anticipate sudden changes in wind, shut down turbines ahead of potentially damaging icing events and even predict the amount of energy generated by private solar panels. NCAR researchers plan to publish the results of these systems in peer-reviewed journals, enabling other utilities and forecast providers to learn about the technologies.
