Certain tasks within the Design tools, such as adding new weather time series or wind turbine power curves, require .csv (comma-separated value) as an input source. This article gives a brief account of how to convert data from MS Excel workbook format to .csv extension. All import files must be generated in .csv format.

Please select the file configuration you're looking for:

NOTE: Before selecting a file, make sure you know the column delimiter (a symbol that separates the column values) which might depend on language settings (you can see it when opening the file as text) - this is vital when importing any CSV files. If you are having issues with the import, please check the article Troubleshooting CSV file imports.


Example files can be found at the bottom of this site.

Weather file

When importing a weather file to the Input library, there are two required data sets, and a few optional ones:

Required fields

  • Wind speed [m/s]
  • Wae height (Hs) [m]

Optional fields

  • Wind direction [°]
  • Wave period (Tp) [s]
  • Wave direction [°]
  • Swell [m]
  • Zero up crossing period [s]
  • Tide [m]
  • Current [m/s]
  • Visibility [km]
  • Month (1-12)
  • Lightning (0 for false, 1 for true)


It is always recommended to get the weather data from a weather services provider - remember to download/export the data as a .CSV file.


See an example below.


Choose Save as in the Excel workbook that contains the data of interest. Choose .csv extension file format drop-down menu and save the new file to any convenient folder.



Your weather file is now ready to be imported - please see this article on how to import weather files .


Power curve

When creating a power curve CSV file, it must contain the following information in the following order:

  1. Wind speed
  2. Power production


In order to upload a power curve, click Assets --> Wind Turbine and the +icon or edit an existing wind turbine. Open the Power curve tab and click Upload CSV file.


Now you will need to define the column delimiter as described above, and you will get an output as seen below.


Wind farm layout

In the case you want to upload wind turbine coordinates instead of creating them manually, the CSV file must contain the following information in the following order:

  • Wind turbine name (must be individual name per turbine - example: WTG 01, WTG 02 etc)
  • Latitude
  • Longitude


Open a new or current project and click on Build and select Assets.

Click on + Add and select Wind Turbine from your input library. Select Import.

Select a .csv file with similar content as seen below and define the column delimiter as described above.

When importing the file, you should get a similar output as seen below.

Inter-array cables

In the case you want to upload wind turbine coordinates instead of creating them manually, you have two different options in the CSV file.

If you are simulating installations of turbines together with cables, you are able to connect the cables to the turbines - please note that you will need to unique names for each turbine. In order to do this, you will need the following in the CSV file:

  • Unique name of the cable (select "Identifier" in the import window)
  • Turbine name end-point 1 (select "Wind farm equipment A" in the import window)
  • Turbine name end-point 2 (select "Wind farm equipment B" in the import window) 


If you are simulating installation of cables only, you have need to have the coordinates for both end-points of the cables:

  • Unique name of the cable (select "Identifier" in the import window)
  • Latitude end-point A (select "Cable A latitude" in the import window)
  • Longitude end-point A (select "Cable A longitude" in the import window)
  • Latitude end-point B (select "Cable B latitude" in the import window)
  • Longitude end-point B (select "Cable B longitude" in the import window)


Open a new or current project and click on Build and select Assets.

Click on + Add and select Inter Array Cable from your input library. Select the Import tab.

Select a .csv file with similar content as seen below and define the column delimiter as described above.



In the next step, you should be able to define each column as seen below. Now, you are able to import the .csv file.

Scheduled and corrective maintenance tasks

The option of importing scheduled and/or corrective maintenance tasks is available, but please note that you will have to set the data mapping up correctly (in the example file found below, the data mapping used are the default ones).


In order to import scheduled and/or corrective maintenance tasks, you will first have to edit the asset. Once it's open, you will have to click on the 'Scheduled maintenance' or 'Corrective maintenance' tab, and then click 'Import CSV'.


Once you have clicked on "Import CSV", go to the "Data mapping" (1) tab.

Check whether the File Column Name is blank or not - if blank, click "Reset to Default" (2), and the "Save Configuration" (3).


 

Please check which fields are required and not, and what type of input the value can take (example: the first field name "Item identifier" only accepts the values "Corrective" or "Scheduled", while the second field "Task name" can be anything).




If there are any names in the 'File Column Name', it could've been changed to be something specific in your company, so we'd recommend that you look through the file column names to see whether they're the default ones or not (you can compare the default values in the import template found on the bottom of this article).


Make sure that you know the column delimiter as described in the top of the article.


When you are ready to import, use the 'Select file' button found in the "Upload" tab, and find your file on your computer.



Example files

Here are examples of attachments:

For more information related to importing weather and power curves to Shoreline Design in the Input Library, go to Input library. For importing wind turbines layout and inter-array cables go to Wind farm assets.