AWS Truepower LLC, a provider of renewable energy consulting and information services, says it has been awarded $900,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to help establish the National Offshore Wind Energy data network.
The project will help facilitate public-private collaboration, assess quality and relevance of existing data sets, and provide guidance on all U.S. and international standards related to the design and safety of wind project components, AWS Truepower explains.
The project will address the DOE's goal of advancing the offshore wind resource and site condition knowledge base. AWS Truepower will build upon work completed by the DOE and interagency working groups to enhance industry protocol, establish an infrastructure for sustainable collaboration, and address offshore resource assessment and other industry needs.
The primary tasks associated with the project include an assessment and catalog of national data sets and capabilities; analysis of gaps in required data and modeling capabilities; assessment of wind system design and operation standards; recommendations for near-term measurement strategies; industry collaboration and outreach; and a long-term plan for data gathering and future research.
"This project will also assess the lessons learned from the European offshore experience, which began over 20 years ago," notes Matt Filippelli, lead offshore engineer for AWS Truepower. "The ocean is an energetic yet hostile environment. A better understanding of wind and wave conditions, including their frequencies and extremes, is essential to cost-effectively designing safe and reliable offshore wind systems."
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Colorado) and the Risoe National Laboratory in Denmark will also contribute to the effort.
The funding for the project represents one of 41 grants awarded by the DOE to offshore wind power last month.
