ICEM 2025 – Plenary Speaker
Date: Thursday 05 June 2025
Time: 14.00 – 15.40
Place: Sala dei Giganti
Speaker Profile
Dr. Marcus Letzel is a meteorologist with a background in micrometeorology who has gradually broadened his scope. He holds a master’s degree in meteorology from the University of Reading, a German Diploma, and a PhD in meteorology from Leibniz University of Hannover.
During his time at the universities of Hannover, Reading, and Tokyo, Marcus co-developed the large-eddy simulation solver PALM for research in boundary-layer and urban meteorology. After his post-doc, he worked for five years as a consultant in environmental meteorology and computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
In 2015, Marcus joined the onshore wind turbine manufacturer ENERCON to establish and lead a new R&D department focused on Site Analytics & Meteorology. This department primarily supports internal stakeholders by providing meteorological services, including weather and wind power forecasts, and by developing and applying in-house CFD solvers—such as E-Wind (based on an OpenFOAM RANS solver) and E-PALM (based on PALM)—for site assessment. The department also contributes to product management, market analysis, and root-cause investigations.
Throughout his career, Marcus has actively collaborated with academic and industry partners. Over the past decade at ENERCON, his department has built a strong network of German and European collaborators, participating in a range of projects—from informal student collaborations to leading funded research initiatives. Key focus areas include site assessment, wind turbine wake modelling, wind power forecasting, and meteorological support for power grid operation.
Marcus is a member of the German Meteorological Society and has received grants and awards from the German Academic Scholarship Foundation, the Japan International Science & Technology Exchange Center (JISTEC), and the Japan Society of Civil Engineers (JSCE).
Topic: On the Rising Relevance of Meteorology – Reflections from the Perspective of an Onshore Wind Turbine Manufacturer
In his plenary talk, Dr. Marcus Letzel will reflect on a decade of meteorological work at ENERCON, offering insights into how the role of meteorology has evolved within the company and the broader wind energy sector. Drawing from real-world experience, he will explore how meteorological expertise has become increasingly central to optimising turbine performance, improving operational planning, and managing environmental risk. His talk will cover key areas such as curtailment forecasting—built on detailed understanding of turbine behaviuor—, on-site forecasting to support grid restoration, wind turbine wake modelling, and the analysis of historical weather events. These elements illustrate how applied meteorology can directly enhance wind farm operation and resilience in the face of changing environmental conditions.
