Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Wind Planner

🎯 Role Definition

The Wind Planner is a technically focused project role within wind development teams responsible for wind resource assessment, micrositing and layout optimization, permitting support, stakeholder engagement, and cross-disciplinary coordination to deliver cost-effective, high-performing wind farms. The role blends geospatial analysis, atmospheric data interpretation (e.g., LiDAR/SODAR/met mast), energy yield modelling, environmental and permitting interface, and construction/commissioning support to ensure projects meet production, regulatory, environmental and commercial targets.

Search keywords: wind planner, wind farm planner, wind resource assessment, micrositing, layout optimization, wake modelling, energy yield assessment, LiDAR, SCADA analytics, wind project permitting.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Wind Resource Analyst or Wind Engineer with experience in resource assessment, micrositing and modelling.
Renewable Energy GIS Analyst with experience in spatial analysis and site feasibility.
Mechanical, Civil or Atmospheric Engineer transitioning into wind development.

Advancement To:

Senior Wind Planner / Lead Wind Planner overseeing multi-project portfolios.
Wind Development Manager / Project Development Manager responsible for full project lifecycle.
Technical Director / Head of Wind Resource and Site Engineering.

Lateral Moves:

Grid Interconnection or Electrical Studies Engineer.
Environmental Permitting Manager or Stakeholder Engagement Lead.

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and execute detailed wind resource assessments using measured meteorological data (met mast, LiDAR, SODAR) and numerical models to quantify mean wind speed, direction, shear, turbulence intensity and frequency distributions for accurate energy yield predictions.
Develop and optimize turbine micrositing and farm layouts using industry-standard wake models (e.g., WindPro, WAsP, OpenWind, WindFarmer, FLORIS) to maximize annual energy production (AEP) and minimize wake losses, noise, and environmental constraints.
Produce energy yield assessments (EYAs) and uncertainty analyses including AEP, net capacity factor, and P50/P90/P10 estimates that feed into financial models, bankability reports and investor due diligence.
Manage measurement campaigns: design site met mast and remote sensing (LiDAR/SODAR) programs, oversee instrument installation and maintenance, perform QA/QC on measured datasets and combine measurement and modelled data to derive validated wind resource inputs.
Conduct terrain and micrositing studies using GIS (ArcGIS, QGIS) and DEMs to identify constraints, access roads, foundation footprints, micro-siting buffers and optimize turbine stringing for construction feasibility and cost efficiency.
Perform wake loss, array efficiency and turbine-turbine interaction studies; translate results into actionable layout changes and quantify impacts on AEP and levelized cost of energy (LCOE).
Coordinate and integrate meteorological and SCADA data analytics to validate power curves, identify performance deviations, support O&M strategies and update energy yield models pre- and post-construction.
Prepare technical documentation for permitting and consenting processes including wind resource reports, visual impact assessments, noise assessments inputs, and responses to regulatory and stakeholder queries.
Lead technical input for environmental impact assessments (EIA) and coordinate with ecology, ornithology and archaeological teams to ensure micrositing minimizes ecological and heritage impacts and supports mitigation measures.
Support grid connection and electrical layout design by collaborating with electrical engineers, providing AEP and site constraint data to inform substation siting, cable routing and cable trenching design.
Provide technical due diligence for land acquisition and leasing decisions: site feasibility studies, constraint mapping, and expected production estimates to support commercial negotiations.
Prepare, review and present wind planning deliverables for internal stakeholders, investors, lenders and permitting authorities; translate complex technical findings into clear, concise reports and presentations.
Lead cross-functional project reviews with civil, geotechnical, environmental and construction teams to ensure site preparation, access roads, crane pads and foundation designs align with planned turbine placement and resource expectations.
Maintain and update internal wind resource and micrositing standards, templates and best-practice workflows to streamline project delivery and ensure consistent, auditable outputs for financing and compliance.
Use statistical and stochastic techniques (e.g., regression, correlation, uncertainty propagation, time-series analysis) to merge measured and modeled datasets and quantify long-term energy production uncertainty.
Perform aviation and radar assessments and coordinate with aviation authorities as needed for turbine tip height, lighting and marking requirements for safe operation and regulatory compliance.
Support procurement and technical specification of turbine models by conducting comparative performance assessments, power curve analyses and assessing compatibility with site-specific wind regimes.
Engage proactively with landowners, permitting authorities, local communities and stakeholders to address siting concerns, negotiate micro-siting accommodations and maintain positive relationships throughout development.
Support construction and commissioning phases by providing on-site guidance for turbine micro-siting adjustments, met mast and remote sensing instrument reinstallation, and validation of as-built layouts against planned designs.
Conduct post-construction performance verification and acceptance testing by analyzing SCADA and met-data to reconcile expected vs. delivered AEP, identify performance shortfalls and recommend corrective actions.
Drive continuous improvement by capturing lessons learned from completed projects, updating energy-model assumptions and contributing to a knowledge base of regional wind climate behavior and model calibration.
Provide technical input for commercial offers, RFP responses and bid packages including AEP estimates, resource risk mitigation measures and planning constraints to improve win rates and reduce bid uncertainty.
Oversee subcontractors and external consultants (wind modelers, GIS specialists, environmental consultants) ensuring deliverables meet scope, quality and schedule requirements.
Maintain compliance with safety, environmental and permitting requirements during all phases of planning and liaise with HSE teams to address hazards related to site access, met mast installations and construction works.
Monitor evolving industry standards, new modelling tools, remote sensing advancements and regulatory changes to incorporate best practices and maintain the firm’s competitive and technical edge.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
Provide mentorship to junior wind resource engineers and GIS analysts, delivering training on modelling tools, QA/QC procedures and project reporting.
Assist commercial teams by preparing concise executive summaries and technical annexes for investment committees and lenders.
Support grant applications, public funding proposals and technology trials by providing technical inputs and feasibility analyses.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Wind resource assessment and energy yield modeling (P50/P90 analysis) using industry-standard tools such as WindPro, WAsP, WindFarmer/OpenWind, FLORIS or equivalent.
Proficiency with remote sensing and met mast data (LiDAR, SODAR, anemometers) including design, QA/QC, processing and uncertainty analysis.
Strong GIS capabilities (ArcGIS, QGIS) for constraint mapping, route planning, micrositing and spatial data workflows.
Experience with SCADA data analytics, power curve verification and post-construction performance analysis using SQL, Python, R or Matlab.
Familiarity with wake modelling theory and practice, and ability to apply wake-loss corrections to layout and energy models.
Statistical and time-series analysis skills for long-term wind speed extrapolation, correlation, and data merging (e.g., regression, wind shear profiling).
Understanding of electrical layout impacts on energy capture, substation siting and grid connection constraints.
Ability to prepare permitting and technical reports, EIA inputs and regulatory submissions with clear technical narratives.
Competence with terrain modelling, DEM processing, and assessing micrositing impacts on construction and civil works.
Experience managing third-party consultants, contractor scopes and deliverables for data collection, modelling and environmental studies.
Familiarity with industry standards for bankable studies, independent engineer reviews and lender due diligence.
Proficiency with Microsoft Excel modeling, VBA or advanced spreadsheet techniques for financial and production sensitivity analysis.
Knowledge of aviation, radar and bird/bat impact assessment processes relevant to turbine siting and permitting.

Soft Skills

Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate technical analyses into business and permitting-friendly language.
Project management and organizational skills, delivering multiple simultaneous studies on time and within budget.
Stakeholder engagement capabilities, including landowners, local authorities and multidisciplinary project teams.
Analytical mindset with attention to detail and a structured approach to problem solving and uncertainty quantification.
Team leadership and mentoring skills with a collaborative, cross-functional working style.
Commercial awareness and ability to balance technical optimization with cost, schedule and permitting constraints.
Adaptability to fast-changing project requirements and ability to prioritize high-impact tasks.
Negotiation skills for lease, access and compensatory micro-siting discussions with landowners and local stakeholders.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Civil, Electrical), Atmospheric Science, Physics, Renewable Energy, or a related technical discipline.

Preferred Education:

Master's degree in Renewable Energy, Wind Engineering, Atmospheric Sciences, Mechanical Engineering or equivalent with focus on wind energy and resource assessment.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Wind Energy / Wind Engineering
Atmospheric Science / Meteorology
Mechanical, Civil or Electrical Engineering
Geospatial Science / GIS
Environmental Science (for permitting interface)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3 - 8+ years in wind resource assessment, wind farm planning, or wind project development.

Preferred:

5+ years of demonstrated experience with onshore and/or offshore wind farm layout design, energy yield assessments and permitting deliverables.
Proven track record of producing bankable EYAs and supporting projects through permitting, construction and commissioning phases.
Prior experience interacting with lenders, investors, and regulatory agencies to satisfy technical and permitting requirements.