Regional Offshore Wind Farm Optimization Using Wind Climatology and the Weather Research and Forecasting Model

Abstract:

The impact of turbulent wakes on the power production of wind farms is a very active area of research as society continues to increase its commitment to renewable energy. The areas offshore of the mid-Atlantic and northeast states are highly favorable to the development of offshore wind farms, and determining the optimal layout for these wind farms is key to their success. We utilize the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model to study the influence of wake effects from different wind farm array geometries on the power production of each farm. Using an idealized version of WRF, we are able to use the wind climatology from a NOAA observational buoy near the Delaware Wind Energy Area (WEA) to evaluate the potential wind farm performance during a climatological average year. We then extend these techniques on a regional scale, evaluating performance of farms located in different offshore WEAs. Finally, by using WRF to model the entire region, we evaluate the wind farms’ interactions with one another under various meteorological scenarios in order to account for seasonal wind variability and load requirements.