Industrial research looks at finding practical and commercial applications for industrial ideas, technologies and concepts. It is an essential stage of applied research because it investigates whether a project is viable in a real-world environment. This usually involves testing prototypes on pilot or small scale sites, to ascertain whether they have economic value. For example, a wind energy company may install several wind turbines in remote locations around their country and then monitor how much electricity they generate over months or years. They can use that data to determine if producing and selling wind power has long-term viability or not.