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An Evaluation of the Offshore Wind Power Potential Utilizing WindFloat Technology in Coos Bay, Oregon By Katelin Hanson May, 2014
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WindFloat Dissertation

Jan 22, 2018

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Page 1: WindFloat Dissertation

An Evaluation of the Offshore Wind Power

Potential Utilizing WindFloat Technology in

Coos Bay, Oregon

By Katelin HansonMay, 2014

Page 2: WindFloat Dissertation

Global Offshore Trends

Table 1. Installed Global Offshore Capacity through 2012.

Source: NCI, 2013, p.4

Meanwhile in the United

States….

Page 3: WindFloat Dissertation

The U.S. has ZERO installed

offshore wind energy

developments!

Page 4: WindFloat Dissertation

Layout

1. Aims and Objectives

2. Context: U.S. Wind Energy Target

3. Projects: Onshore and Offshore

4. Methods

5. Main Results

6. Discussion

7. Recommendations

8. Conclusion

Page 5: WindFloat Dissertation

1. Aims and Objectives

AIM: To compare the potential wind power of two modelled

wind farms in the U.S.

Three components:

1. U.S. 20% goal

2. Wind Atlas and Application Programme (WAsP)

3. Economic and Political Barriers

Main hypothesis: offshore wind power can generate more

power than onshore

Page 6: WindFloat Dissertation

2. Context: U.S. Wind Energy Target

Figure 1. U.S. Electrical Energy Mix by 2030 with 20% wind scenarioSource: NREL, 2008. p.12.

• Climate change and the need for domestic clean energy

• Increased electricity demand by 39% by 2030

• Potential offshore capacity: 4,150 GW

Page 7: WindFloat Dissertation

3. Projects: Onshore and Offshore

Main Obstacle: Continental Shelf

Source: HowStuffWorks, 2001

Source: Breton and Moe, 2009, p. 651

Figure 3. Traditional foundations for offshore wind

turbines Figure 2. Pacific and Atlantic shelves

Page 8: WindFloat Dissertation

WindFloat Technology

Figure 4. Active ballast system

Benefits WindFloat:

1. Onshore commission

2. Less environmentally

invasive

3. Can hold larger

turbines

4. Allows access to

higher wind resources

Source: Principle Power Inc., 2011

Page 9: WindFloat Dissertation

• Department of Energy (DOE) granted 7 projects each $4

million for engineering, design and permitting

• Offshore: WindFloat Pacific

• Onshore: Biglow Canyon

Figure 5. Oregon’s existing onshore wind farms and 8

manufacturing facilities

Source: American Wind Energy Association, 2014

Page 10: WindFloat Dissertation

4. Methods

Four Scenarios:

Offshore:

1) 5 (6 MW) turbines

2) 200 (6 MW) turbines

3) 200 (1.65 MW) turbines

Onshore:

1) 200 (1.65 MW) turbines

WAsP: tool for wind data analysis, wind atlas generation, and

wind climate estimation

Source: Western Regional Climate Center, 2014

Figure 6. Wind Atlas data for Coos Bay

Page 11: WindFloat Dissertation

5. Main Results

WAsP map of WindFloat

Pacific 200 turbine wind farm

and the average Oregonian

households supplied

Page 12: WindFloat Dissertation

6. Discussion

Predicted Power Production

– More homes than Coos Bay and North Bend

– Upscale with the same turbine capacity

– WindFloat produces four-times Biglow Canyon

Limitations

– Turbine Editor tool

– Operational variation

Page 13: WindFloat Dissertation

6. Discussion

Key Barriers- High cost of development

- Transmission and infrastructure challenges

- Uncertainty regarding regulation, leasing, and permitting

Political Support- Power Purchase Agreements

- Offshore Renewable Energy Credits

- Renewable Production Tax Credits

Page 14: WindFloat Dissertation

7. Recommendations

1. WAsP: turbine data from manufacturers

2. Federal and state agencies set ambitious goals and

stable subsidies

3. Extending tax incentives

Page 15: WindFloat Dissertation

8. Conclusion

• Hypothesis supported

• WindFloat allows for higher energy production

–Drives down market prices

• Permanent legislation and subsidies

Page 16: WindFloat Dissertation

References

American Wind Energy Association, 2014. State Wind Energy Statistics: Oregon. [online] Available at: < http://www.awea.orgResources/state.aspx?ItemNumber=5189>. [Accessed on 14 April 2014].

Breton, S. and Moe, G., 2009. Status, plans and technologies for offshore wind turbines in Europe and North America. Renewable Energy, 34 (3) p. 646-654.

How stuff works, 2001. Why are the waves on the U.S. West Coast larger than the waves on the East Coast? [online] Available at: < http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/earth/oceanography/question623.htm> [Accessed on 12 October 2013].

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), 2008. 20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply. [pdf] TN: U.S. DOE, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Available at: <http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy08osti/41869.pdf>. [Accessed 27 January 2014].

Navigant Consulting, Inc. (NCI), 2013. U.S. Offshore Wind Manufacturing and Supply Chain Development. U.S. Department of Energy, TN. Available at: < http://www1.eere.energy.gov/wind/pdfs/us_offshore_wind_supply_chain_and_manufacturing_development.pdf> [Accessed on 8 April 2014].

Principle Power Inc., 2011. Principle Power’s WindFloat. [video online] Available at: < https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO7GXLR4YUo>. [Accessed on 25 February 2014].

Western Regional Climate Center, 2014. North Bend (AWOS) Oregon. [online] Available at: < http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/wea_windrose.pl?laKOTH>. [Accessed on 15 March 2014].