Offshore Wind Technology
Offshore wind energy installations have the potential to meet a significant portion of the future energy needs of the United States. Offshore wind resources provide an opportunity for the production of power close to coastal cities that are major electricity users. However, the commercialization of new offshore wind power technologies faces technical, regulatory, socioeconomic, and political challenges, many of which can be mitigated through targeted long-range research and development efforts.
Goal
The program's offshore wind goal is to reduce the cost of electricity from large wind systems in shallow water (less than 100 feet) in Class 6 winds (17.9-19.7 miles per hour) to 7 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) by 2014, from a baseline of 9.5 cents/kWh in 2005. The program's strategic objective is to reduce barriers to deployment of offshore wind energy in the near term and establish the U.S. as a leader in this growth industry.
Research Project Highlights
Developing Offshore Technologies
Wind turbines installed offshore can be much larger than those installed on land because the wind resource is extensive and transportation is not constrained. However, because of the harsh marine environment, offshore wind turbines must be more rugged and reliable, and wind turbines installed in deeper waters farther from shore will require new foundation and platform technologies over the next decade.
To address some of the new technological challenges posed by offshore wind, the program provides research assistance aimed at reducing costs for foundations, electrical grids, operations and maintenance, and installation and staging. Concepts for floating wind turbine platforms are also being investigated.
The Wind Program conducts research on offshore wind technologies for shallow water, transitional depth, and deepwater.
Measuring Offshore Wind Resources
The program works to provide the best possible information to potential offshore U.S. wind developers. As part of this effort, program researchers are working with AWS Truewind to assess offshore wind resources, using mesoscale models to generate 200-m x 200-m resolution wind data out to 50 nautical miles from shore.
Investigating Offshore Standards
The program works with the Minerals Management Service, the Department of Energy's national laboratories, and industry experts to review existing national safety certification standards and how they will apply to U.S. offshore wind turbines and structures. These standards will ensure the safe installation and operation of wind turbines in U.S. coastal waters.
Evaluating Environmental and Human Risks
Offshore wind energy presents a different set of potential risks to the environment and coastal communities than land-based wind, such as acoustic impacts on marine mammals, impacts on fish and seabed ecosystems, electromagnetic fields, ship collisions, fishing, and aesthetics. The program works with other agencies, such as the Minerals Management Service (the lead agency responsible for permitting U.S. offshore energy facilities), to identify priority research areas relating to environmental and human impacts of offshore wind turbines. Although recent studies from Europe indicate that there are no significant impacts to birds, mammals, and other biological factors from existing offshore wind projects, uncertainties and risks remain.