5.1 This practice will characterize the distribution of wind with a maximum of utility and a minimum of archive space. Applications of wind data to the fields of air quality, wind engineering, wind energy, agriculture, oceanography, forecasting, aviation, climatology, severe storms, turbulence and diffusion, military, and electrical utilities are satisfied with this practice. When this practice is employed, archive data will be of value to any of these fields of application. The consensus reached for this practice includes representatives of instrument manufacturers which provides a practical acceptance of these theoretical principles used to characterize the wind.

1.1 This practice covers a method for characterizing surface wind speed, wind direction, peak one-minute speeds, peak three-second and peak one-minute speeds, and standard deviations of fluctuation about the means of speed and direction.

1.2 This practice may be used with other kinds of sensors if the response characteristics of the sensors, including their signal conditioners, are equivalent or faster and the measurement uncertainty of the system is equivalent or better than those specified below.

1.3 The characterization prescribed in this practice will provide information on wind acceptable for a wide variety of applications.

Note 1: This practice builds on a consensus reached by the attendees at a workshop sponsored by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research in Rockville, MD on Oct. 29–30, 1992.

1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.