Oldenburg. A construction sign on Küpkersweg indicates this: A research laboratory for turbulence and wind energy systems including a wind tunnel (WindLab) is being built on the Wechloy campus of the University of Oldenburg. Scientists will work on turbulent atmospheric flows and their interaction with wind energy systems in the four-storey building. The German Council of Science and Humanities approved the construction in 2012. The proposal by the Oldenburg scientists, led by wind energy expert Prof. Dr Martin Kühn, turbulence researcher Prof. Dr Joachim Peinke and energy meteorologist Dr Detlev Heinemann, was deemed particularly worthy of funding.

The centrepiece of the new 2,300 square metre building with space for over 130 scientists is a so-called turbulent wind tunnel. There are also laboratories for experiments in the wind tunnel and in the open air. "With WindLab, we are creating excellent conditions to further strengthen the University of Oldenburg's highly efficient and recognised research in the field of renewable energies. Investigations in the planned wind tunnel can make a significant contribution to increasing the efficiency of wind farms and avoiding technical and financial risks," explained University President Prof Dr Babette Simon.

Scientists from the fields of physics, meteorology, oceanography and engineering from the Universities of Oldenburg and Hanover, the Jade University of Applied Sciences, the Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology (Bremerhaven) and the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation (Göttingen) will use the wind tunnel. It will provide precise data on the operating behaviour of wind turbines and large offshore wind farms.

"The building, which is being constructed in the immediate vicinity of the NeSSy research building, will be available for scientific use in around two years," says Meik Möllers, Head of Building Management at the University of Oldenburg. The total costs for the new research laboratory amount to 20.5 million euros. Half of the costs will be borne by the federal government and half by the state of Lower Saxony. The client is the state of Lower Saxony, represented by the State Construction Management Lüneburg Heath.

In the photo (from left): Dr Detlev Heinemann, Professor of Energy Meteorology, Dr Stephan Barth, Managing Director of ForWind, Prof. Dr Martin Kühn, Professor of Wind Energy Systems, Prof. Dr Babette Simon, President of the University of Oldenburg, Prof. Dr Joachim Peinke, Professor of Physics, and Meik Möllers, Head of Building Management at the University of Oldenburg.