Innovative Anchoring System For Floating Offshore Wind
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Offshore Wind Turbines Will Encounter Very Low Atmospheric Turbulence
Turbulence governs the development and erosion of wind farm wakes, which can deplete the offshore wind resource. Therefore, an accurate understanding of atmospheric turbulence is required to support the rapid growth of offshore wind energy. Using 13 months of lidar observations off the coast of Massachusetts, we find that offshore wind plants at the site will experience very low turbulence, quantified as lidar turbulence intensity, especially in summer, when the wind flows from the open ocean. Moreover, the lowest turbulence regimes are often associated with large wind veer conditions, which can impact the effectiveness of wake steering solutions.
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Wind Farm Control and Layout Optimization for U.S. Offshore Wind Farms (Final Report - D5)
This report reviews the results and main conclusions of the NOWRDC project "Wind Farm Control and Layout Optimization for U.S. Offshore Wind Farms." A key finding is that wake steering should be considered a valuable tool for increasing the energy production of wind farms, especially in the event the farms are designed to maximize the energy production of a given boundary area.
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Capacity Density Considerations for Offshore Wind Plants in the United States
The United States is a rapidly emerging market for offshore wind energy, with a project pipeline estimated at over 52 GW as of May 31, 2023 (Musial et al. 2023). The capacity density, measured in megawatts per square kilometer (MW/km 2 ), is a crucial parameter for estimating the magnitude of the development pipeline and the nameplate potential of existing lease areas. The offshore wind energy industry is comprised of diversity of participants, including developers, governmental bodies, investors, environmental advocacy groups, and researchers. These various stakeholders use capacity density in different ways as a key metric for evaluating the potential of individual offshore wind lease area or even a section of ocean space. This report presents our assessment of capacity density values in the current pipeline of emerging U.S. offshore wind farms and a detailed list of the main factors that influence capacity density. This understanding is critical for planning of future lease areas, for estimating the technical resource potential for offshore wind on the U.S. outer continental shelf (OCS), and for estimating ocean space requirements needed for meeting state and national goals for a carbon neutral energy transition.
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Offshore Wind Market Report: 2023 Edition [Slides]
The Offshore Wind Market Report: 2023 Edition provides detailed information on the U.S. and global offshore wind energy industries to inform policymakers, researchers, and analysts about technology, economic, and market trends. This presentation highlights the main points of the report to help provide a summary.
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Floating Offshore Wind US Manufacturing and Commercialization: Cooperative Research and Development (Final Report)
NREL assessed the supply chain and workforce considerations for the OCG-Wind floater technology, a floating semi-submersible offshore wind substructure, as well sharing vessel needs to inform their installation strategy. This technical assistance was in support of the FLoating Offshore Wind ReadINess (FLOWIN) Prize Phase 2 submission. NREL provided an assessment of domestic supplier capabilities for the main components of their floating offshore wind platform design and analyzed US regional and national supply chain constraints and gaps. Thirteen interviews with companies including steel distributors, forges, foundries, ports, large component fabricators, subcomponent fabricators, and secondary suppliers provided key insights such as 1) assembly ports are the key infrastructure barrier standing in the way of unlocking the domestic assembly and component fabrication for steel-based FOW platforms, 2) domestic steel producers can supply the types and quantities of steel necessary for FOW platforms, and 3) coordination between stakeholders will be a vital part of successfully developing the supply chain and infrastructure needed to domestically produce FOW platforms. In the workforce assessment, NREL documented a step-by-step approach to conduct a place-based assessment of the foundational workforce consideration for recruiting, upskilling, and retaining a workforce, such as supportive local and state policy, nearby education and training programs, and existing relevant industry. This approach was applied to Tacoma, Washington. Tacoma was indicated to have the potential be a successful location for fabrication and assembly of floating offshore wind energy in terms of workforce development. To share data on vessel requirements to install the OCG-Wind floater, NREL compiled resources that help answer the questions related to anchor handling tug vessels, shared a database of cable laying vessels, and answered questions on complying with the Jones Act.
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Gulf of Mexico Offshore Wind Energy Hurricane Risk Assessment
NREL's feasibility assessment of offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico concluded that hurricane risk was one of the major challenges that would need to be overcome for a mature offshore wind industry to develop in the Gulf of Mexico. To ensure the robust design of wind turbines in the Gulf of Mexico, it is critical to understand the added risk posed by the threat of major hurricanes, as those affecting the Gulf of Mexico region have a significant potential to exceed design limits prescribed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) wind design standards. To satisfy this charge, this project defines the wind hazard for the Gulf of Mexico Offshore Wind Energy area using the hurricane hazard model develop by Applied Research Associates and published extensively in the open literature. In doing so, the return periods associated with the IEC Class 1A and Typhoon Class limit-state hurricanes are estimated on a grid with nominal resolution of 10 km to determine where hurricane risk results in the exceedance of the IEC design criteria. On the same grid, wind speeds hazard contours associated with return periods varying from 50 to 1,000 years are also estimated. An additional challenge in assessing hurricane wind speed risk in the Gulf of Mexico arises from inconsistent terminology across the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale and the IEC design criteria. Saffir-Simpson definitions are based on 1-minute sustained wind speeds estimated at 10-m height over marine terrain, while the IEC uses a different averaging period (3-second versus 1-minute) and reference height (assumed herein a hub height of 150 m versus 10 m). Employing the latest research on turbulence characteristics of the hurricane boundary layer, conversions between various durations (e.g., 3-seconds, 1-minute, 10-minutes, 1-hour) and between elevations near the surface (10 m) to near hub height (assumed herein 150 m) are developed. IEC Class 1A and Typhoon Class limit states are also provided in terms of an equivalent Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind speed category.
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Assessing the exposure of three diving bird species to offshore wind areas on the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf using satellite telemetry
Abstract Aim The United States Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) has considerable offshore wind energy potential. Capturing that resource is part of a broader effort to reduce CO 2 emissions. While few turbines have been constructed in U.S. waters, over a dozen currently planned offshore wind projects have the potential to displace marine birds, potentially leading to effective habitat loss. We focused on three diving birds identified in Europe to be vulnerable to displacement. Our research aimed to determine their potential exposure to areas designated or proposed for offshore wind development along the Atlantic OCS. Methods Satellite tracking technology was used to determine the spatial and temporal use and movement patterns of Surf Scoters ( Melanitta perspicillata ), Red‐throated Loons ( Gavia stellata ) and Northern Gannets ( Morus bassanus ), and calculate their exposure to each offshore wind area. We tagged 236 adults in 2012–2015 on the Atlantic OCS from New Jersey to North Carolina; an additional 147 birds tagged in previous tracking studies were integrated into our analyses. Tracking data were analysed in two‐week intervals using dynamic Brownian bridge movement models to develop composite spatial utilization distributions. For each species, these distributions were then used to calculate the spatio‐temporal exposure to each offshore wind area. Results Surf Scoters and Red‐throated Loons were exposed to offshore wind areas almost exclusively during migration because these species were distributed among coastal and inshore waters during winter months. In contrast, Northern Gannets ranged over a much larger area, reaching farther offshore and south in winter, thus exhibited the greatest exposure to extant offshore wind areas. Conclusions Results of this study provide better understanding of how diving birds use current and potential future offshore wind areas on the Atlantic OCS, and can inform permitting, risk assessment and pre‐ and post‐construction impact assessments of offshore energy infrastructure.
Stenhouse, Iain J.↗
Integrating Offshore Wind Into Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) for the Philippines
The Philippines is aiming to jumpstart a domestic offshore wind industry and has incorporated offshore wind into several planning efforts. In parallel, the Philippines has also been a leader in incorporating renewable energy zones (REZs) into their power sector development and transmission plans. The objective of this study, conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in partnership with the Philippines Department of Energy (PDOE), is to incorporate offshore wind resources into the Philippines' already established competitive renewable energy zones (CREZs) to support national transmission planning, thereby merging these two previously disparate workstreams and implementing a key recommendation from the World Bank's offshore wind roadmap for the Philippines.
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Validation of Reanalysis-Based Offshore Wind Resource Characterization Using Lidar Buoy Observations
The offshore wind industry in the U.S. is gaining strong momentum to achieve sustainable energy goals, and the need for observations to provide resource characterization and model validation is greater than ever. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) operates two lidar buoys for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in order to collect hub height wind data and associated meteorological and oceanographic information near the surface in areas of interest for offshore wind development. This work evaluates the performance of commonly used reanalysis products and spatial approximation techniques using lidar buoy observations off the coast of New Jersey and Virginia, USA. Reanalysis products are essential tools in order to set performance expectations and quantify the wind resource variability at a given site. Long-term accurate observations at typical wind turbine hub-heights have been lacking at offshore locations. Using wind speed observations from both lidar buoy deployments, biases and degrees of correspondence for the Modern Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications-2 (MERRA-2), the North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR), and the analysis system of the Rapid Refresh (RAP) are examined both at hub height and near surface. Results provide insights on the performance and uncertainty of using reanalysis products for long-term wind resource characterization.
lidar buoy, model validation, offshore wind energy↗
Impacts of turbine and plant upsizing on the levelized cost of energy for offshore wind
Turbine and plant upsizing are major trends in offshore wind deployment, although the quantitative impact on project costs has not been well-characterized. The uncertain value of continued wind turbine and project growth limits the ability of the supply chain to prepare for future technology trends, leading to challenges in the realization of larger projects. This analysis explores the levelized cost of energy impacts of turbine ratings between 6 and 20 MW and plant capacities between 250 and 2,500 MW for fixed-bottom offshore wind using techno-economic cost models for foundation, electrical, installation, and operation and maintenance costs, along with annual energy production. We consider a nominal set of technology assumptions for all scenarios to isolate economies of size and scale without additional benefits from decreasing turbine capital costs, quantity discounts for larger projects, or optimized technology solutions. These results indicate that using a 20-MW wind turbine in a 2,500-MW power plant array can reduce the levelized cost of energy by over 23% relative to the global average turbine and plant size installed in 2019; primarily because of reductions in the balance-of-system and operation and maintenance costs. We also identify improved installation vessels, optimized export systems, and novel operation and maintenance strategies as additional cost reduction opportunities. These results suggest that upsizing represents a significant cost reduction opportunity for offshore wind energy and will continue to be a main factor in shaping the future of the sector.
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Integrating Offshore Wind Into Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) for the Philippines [Slides]
The Philippines is aiming to jumpstart a domestic offshore wind industry and has incorporated offshore wind into several planning efforts. In parallel, the Philippines has also been a leader in incorporating renewable energy zones (REZs) into their power sector development and transmission plans. The objective of this study, conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in partnership with the Philippines Department of Energy (PDOE), is to incorporate offshore wind resources into the Philippines' already established competitive renewable energy zones (CREZs) to support national transmission planning, thereby merging these two previously disparate workstreams and implementing a key recommendation from the World Bank's offshore wind roadmap for the Philippines.
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Offshore Wind Energy: Technology Below the Water [Slides]
The final webinar in NREL's Offshore Wind Technology Basics series focuses on offshore wind technology below the water, including foundations and cables. Specific aspects of offshore wind that are covered by the webinar include fixed bottom turbines, floating turbines, mooring lines for floating turbines, cabling options and installation, and decommissioning. The webinar also addresses the technology options and development considerations for diverse seafloor and oceanographic characteristics.
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Hybrid foundation for offshore wind turbines
A hybrid offshore wind turbine includes a monopile, friction wheel, and suction bucket.
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Offshore Wind Workforce Safety Standards and Training Resource
The standardization of safety training requirements for people working at sea to build and operate offshore wind energy projects, adoption of those standards, and alignment with offshore safety training curriculum development was identified as a high-priority workforce gap in the U.S. Offshore Wind Workforce Assessment (Stefek, 2022). Safety is a top priority for the offshore wind industry; however, there has been uncertainty surrounding what unique safety standards and training will be needed and how various offshore wind safety stakeholders will be involved. The scope of safety training for this resource includes workers who build and operate offshore wind energy projects at sea and defines the stakeholders in the complex ecosystem. This fact sheet aims to help reduce these uncertainties by: 1) Delineating jurisdictional lines, while clarifying roles and responsibilities amongst stakeholders; 2) Identifying key actions or partnerships that can encourage further success with safety training and workforce development.
offshore wind↗
Southern Company Services: Project 2: Tall Tower Wind Technical Potential for the Southeast (Modifications 4, 5), Project 4: Offshore Wind Potential for Southern Company Services (Modifications 7, 8)
Project 2: The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) and Southern Company Services (SCS) seek to establish an agreement to assess the technical potential for wind energy in the Southeastern U.S. SCS has requested that NLR conduct a detailed assessment of system performance, available capacity, transmission distance, and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) at turbine hub heights of 100m to 160m within the SCS service territory. NLR will also provide an assessment of utility photovoltaic (PV) technical potential within the SCS service territory. NLR has unique modeling capabilities to assist SCS with high spatial and temporal resolution assessment of wind and PV technical potential, considering geospatial constraints. Project 4: NLR and SCS seek to develop a spatially explicit techno-economic assessment for offshore wind energy in the Southeastern U.S. The analysis aims to characterize the regional sensitivities of offshore wind plant costs and performance, underwater cabling, potential siting constraints, and landfall spur transmission costs.
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Control co-design under uncertainty for offshore wind farms: Optimizing grid integration, energy storage, and market participation
Offshore wind farms (OWFs) are set to significantly contribute to global decarbonization efforts. Developers often use a sequential approach to optimize design variables and market participation for grid-integrated offshore wind farms. However, this method can lead to sub-optimal system performance, and uncertainties associated with renewable resources are often overlooked in decision-making. Here, this paper proposes a control co-design approach, optimizing design and control decisions for integrating OWFs into the power grid while considering energy market and primary frequency market participation. Additionally, we introduce optimal sizing solutions for energy storage systems deployed onshore to enhance revenue for OWF developers over time. This framework addresses uncertainties related to wind resources and energy prices. We analyze five U.S. west-coast offshore wind farm locations and potential interconnection points, as identified by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM). Results show that optimized control co-design solutions can increase market revenue by 3.2% and provide flexibility in managing wind resource uncertainties.
Control Co-design↗
Downwind coning concept rotor for a 25 MW offshore wind turbine
The size of offshore wind turbines over the next decade is expected to continually increase due to reduced balance of station costs per MW and also the higher wind energy at increased altitudes that can lead to higher capacity factors. However, there are challenges that may limit the degree of upscaling which is possible. In this paper, a two-bladed downwind turbine system is upscaled from 13.2 MW to 25 MW, by redesigning aerodynamics, structures, and controls. In particular, three 25 MW rotors have been developed: V1 is the upscaled model, V2 is a partial redesigned model, and V3 is a fully redesigned model. Despite their radically large sizes, it is found that these 25 MW turbine rotors satisfy this limited set of design drivers at the rated condition and that larger blade lengths are possible with cone-wise load-alignment. In addition, flapwise morphing (varying the cone angle with a wind-speed schedule) is investigated in terms of minimizing mean and fluctuating root bending loads using steady inflow proxies for the maximum and damage equivalent load moments. The resulting series of 25 MW rotors, which are the largest ever designed, can be a useful baseline for additional development and assessment.
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