Research Associate

WINDFORNEM project

Ph: +61 2 9385 4031

Fax: +61 2 9385 5993

Email: m.kay@)unsw.edu.au

Room 464, Electrical Engineering Building

Merlinde has a PhD in Atmospheric Physics from the University of New South Wales, graduating in 2002, with the main focus of the research on atmospheric aerosols, and their optical properties and their effects on climate.  She has over one year experience working in the energy market producing weather forecasts for a major energy company. She started with CEEM on the wind energy forecasting strand of the WINDFORNEM project in May 2006.

Activities

October 2007
Merlinde participated in the 2007 AMOS Weather Tipping Competition.  After forecasting the maximum and minimum temperatures and rainfall amount for different locations for a 26 week period, she made it to the Grand Final play-offs [link]. Merlinde sadly lost by 1 point, however did take out the prize for best maximum temperatures forecast for the 26 weeks.

1st August 2007
Merlinde was invited to give a talk at the Australian Meteorological and Oceanic Society (AMOS) bimonthly seminar at the Bureau of Meteorology, Sydney.  Her talk was titled: Wind Energy Forecasting: Overview, Challenges and Australia's Contribution [link].

5th-8th February 2007
Merlinde attended the AMOS 2007 Conference [link] held in Adelaide.  Her talk was titled: Challenges in Wind Energy Forecasting.