R&D

• Wind Resource
• Metocean design conditions
• Turbine technology
• Structures, safety, reliability
• Controls: turbine and wind plant
• Offshore wind energy
• Wind plant design
• Distributed wind power/hybrid power systems
• Social science
• Education/research: undergraduate – post doctoral

The accompanying papers were organized by the following scientific area leads:

• Julie Lundquist, University of Colorado Boulder: Wind resource
• James Edson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: Metocean design conditions
• Caroline Draxl, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Metocean design conditions
• Todd Griffith, University of Texas Dallas: Turbine technology
• Sanjay Arwade University of Massachusetts Amherst: Structures, safety, reliability
• Rupp Carriveau, University of Windsor, Structures, safety, reliability
• Eric Simley, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Controls
• David Schlipf, University of Flensburg: Controls
• Jason Jonkman National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Wind plant design
• Matt Churchfield, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Wakes
• Amy Robertson, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Offshore wind energy
• Ian Baring-Gould, National Renewable Energy Laboratory: Distributed wind power/hybrid power systems
• Bonnie Ram, University of Delaware: Social science
• Tom Acker, Norther Arizona University: Education

We would like to thank all of the scientific area leads and the many people who contributed to the success of the conference, particularly Jody Lally of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, who coordinated all the logistics.

James F. Manwell Chair, NAWEA WindTech 2019 University of Massachusetts Amherst
Paul Veers Chair, NAWEA WindTech 2019 National Renewable Energy Laboratory

The Baker-Polito Administration today announced $700,000 in funding for nine academic and research institutions across Massachusetts to advance studies relating to offshore wind development, building on the Commonwealth’s existing nation-leading offshore wind innovation activities. The funding will support three offshore wind research projects to identify industry workforce training and safety requirements; establish a multi-university partnership focused on innovation and driving down costs; and develop a new technique to monitor the structural health of wind blades. http://www.masscec.com/about-masscec/news/baker-polito-administration-announces-700000-funding-offshore-wind-research

A press release announced that the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center awarded $700,000 to nine Massachusetts academic and research institutions for studies related to offshore wind development. "The funding will support three offshore wind research projects to identify industry workforce training and safety requirements; establish a multi-university partnership focused on innovation and driving down costs; and develop a new technique to monitor the structural health of wind blades."

This document is on the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center website at: http://www.masscec.com/about-masscec/news/baker-polito-administration-announces-700000-funding-offshore-wind-research

The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is to gather feedback from offshore wind energy developers, consultants, financiers, scientists, regulators and other stakeholders on the draft MetOcean Plan (www.nyserda.ny.gov/offshorewind) developed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). NYSERDA intends to implement the final MetOcean Plan in 2017 to support and facilitate the development of the New York Wind Energy Area (WEA) identified by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), south of Long Island’s Rockaway Peninsula, off the coast of New York.

A new study, conducted by the University of Delaware's Special Initiative on Offshore Wind for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, offers a roadmap of key strategic steps New York State can take to reduce costs of offshore wind power over the next decade. The study finds that ongoing technology and industry advances combined with actions New York could take, independently or with other states, could lower costs for offshore wind power as much as 50 percent and bring the clean-energy source closer to realizing its potential for "delivering utility-scale renewable electric generation" to New York City and nearby areas such as Long Island.  

A primary conclusion from the report is that supporting offshore wind development at scale, rather than on a project-by-project basis, could have the greatest impact on reducing costs.  Other actions the report cites that could lower costs include creating and using innovative financing mechanisms, developing infrastructure to reduce costs, and supporting site characterization for early projects to reduce development expenses and risk.

The study notes that while onshore wind development has expanded rapidly in the U.S., no operational offshore wind power projects have been completed to date due to complex construction challenges and the need for operational infrastructure that doesn't exist today in the U.S.  These factors lead to high costs and have delayed deployment.

The study identifies multiple paths for reducing offshore wind power costs in New York State, emphasizing that the "State can take actions in the near term to lower its costs substantially, independent of expected external reductions over the next decade." The study finds that taking advantage of wind turbine innovations and other technology and industry advances could lower costs about 20 percent. Direct steps taken by New York State could contribute up to an additional 30 percent reduction in a project's cost.http://www.ceoe.udel.edu/File%20Library/About/SIOW/New-York-Offshore-Wind-Cost-Reduction-Study-ff8-2.pdf

The VolturnUS 1:8 is the only offshore wind turbine currently connected to the US grid. It is a 1/8 scale demonstration of concept for a floating offshore wind turbine. This photo presentation follows the step-by-step process of construction and installation. 

The University of Maine unveiled a new floating LIDAR system to collect deepwater offshore wind data. This remote sensing technology will give a more accurate assesment of the wind resources available in the Gulf of Maine