Final Activity Report Summary - MODOBS (Atmospheric modelling for wind energy, climate and environment applications: exploring added value from new observation technique) The research within MODOBS addressed the improvement of Atmospheric Boundary Layer modelling and measurement techniques to investigate observe and model the interplay of atmospheric processes with the Earth's surface at different temporal and spatial scales. The added value from new remote-sensing observation techniques has been explored. The overall goal has been to bring young scientists to work together with experienced researchers in developing a better interaction amongst scientific communities of modellers, experimentalists and engineers within atmospheric physics and engineering applied to space-born and ground-based remote sensing, integrating the most advanced research methods and techniques. A holistic interdisciplinary approach combined atmospheric measurements in-situ and observation from space-born and ground-based remote sensing with multiple interlinked modelling techniques. New models allow exploring the nature of changes in several major air-sea-land interaction process cycles on short- and long- term time scales, and space scales from local to regional. This will provide a better understanding of the drivers of short- and long- term perturbations, infer possible relationship with climatic variability, and attain scenarios of climate change impact on renewable energy i.e. wind energy, and environment. The spin-off of MODOBS has been directed into three major fields: CLIMATE. To improve marine boundary layer cloud simulations in 3D General Circulation Models, exploiting high resolution models i.e. Large Eddy Simulation and Single Column Models, finalized to reliable climate change scenarios. Future climate scenarios are the determining factor for energy resources planning, which is essential to the future European energy resource supply and environmental policy. METEOROLOGY. To investigate and improve the current methods for parameterization of heat and moisture surface fluxes in coupled wave-atmosphere models during high wind speed conditions and breaking waves. This had a positive impact on modelling e.g. the life cycle of polar lows. Also, the use of new space-borne platform has been explored for studying the variability of the surface spatial structure of the humidity in offshore coastal areas where the space resolution of observation is crucial. WIND ENGINEERING. The 'power curve' of a turbine is a graph that describes the electrical power output as a function of the upstream wind speed. The international standard, defining how to perform the power curve measurement, stipulates that the wind speed should be measured at hub-height only. As wind turbines get larger, the measurement of the wind speed at the centre of the rotor becomes less and less representative of the flow field seen by the entire rotor. Ground-based remote sensing instruments i.e. Doppler LIDARS (LIght Detection And Ranging) demonstrated to provide reliable vertical profiles of wind speed covering the spanning of the rotor. One of the PhD thesis contributed to the revision of the standard for wind turbine power performance measurement (IEC 61400-12-1) by suggesting a method accounting for the wind speed shear measured in front of the turbine in the power curve measurement. Early Stage Researchers at doctoral level have been trained within collaborative projects involving MODOBS partners contributing then to the transfer of knowledge and to the development of the European Research Area. The network has funded 14 fellows: 9 PhD students through three-year period grants, 4 short-term external PhDs (from 4 to 18 months) and a Post Doc. All fellows have been involved in the organisational aspect of the network, and followed complementary training courses including a 'Management of Innovation and Research' course. After the end of the PhD, all fellows obtained a research position and 4 have been hired by private companies. All have been able to develop their own broad international network.
