An Evaluation of the Offshore Wind Power

Potential Utilizing WindFloat Technology in

Coos Bay, Oregon

By Katelin HansonMay, 2014

Global Offshore Trends

Table 1. Installed Global Offshore Capacity through 2012.

Source: NCI, 2013, p.4

Meanwhile in the United

States….

The U.S. has ZERO installed

offshore wind energy

developments!

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

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

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

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

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

• 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

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

5. Main Results

WAsP map of WindFloat

Pacific 200 turbine wind farm

and the average Oregonian

households supplied

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

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

7. Recommendations

1. WAsP: turbine data from manufacturers

2. Federal and state agencies set ambitious goals and

stable subsidies

3. Extending tax incentives

8. Conclusion

• Hypothesis supported

• WindFloat allows for higher energy production

–Drives down market prices

• Permanent legislation and subsidies

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].