Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

California rich in offshore wind

By Paul Dvorak | August 10, 2011

The model shows a spatial distribution for quantities related to deep convective mixing. The LLNL Climate Uncertainty Quantification Project is an effort to quantify the uncertainties in climate simulation using what’s called perturbed physics ensembles.

The amount of wind blowing off the California coast has high potential. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory atmospheric scientists are working with a Norwegian company to leverage that wind as a valuable energy source. LLNL has signed a memorandum of understanding with Sway, a renewable energy company that has developed floating towers for placing wind turbines in deep water. Though California has not yet approved offshore wind turbines, Sway has launched a prototype off the coast of Norway on June to demonstrate how the system could work in the Pacific Ocean.
Towers for offshore wind turbines typically sit in water as much as 30-m deep and are anchored to the ocean floor. Based on technology that was originally used for deep-sea oil drilling, Sway has developed a floating tethered tower that allows siting turbines in water 60 to 400-m deep.
“California has an abundance of deep-water wind resources, so this is an opportunity for the state,” said Nalu Kaahaaina, LLNL’s Low-Carbon Energy Program leader. “This technology is clean, reliable. and even more consistent than traditional onshore wind turbines.”

Power generation from offshore wind turbines is significantly higher than from units onshore. “The wind blows all the time at some offshore wind resources in California,” says Roger Aines, LLNL’s Carbon Fuel Cycle Program leader. “If Sway has success in Norway, the technology could be useful in California.”

Lawrence Livermore has a history in atmospheric studies. Its scientists will provide their expertise in wind energy to help launch the project internationally, nationally, and regionally. For instance, the Laboratory works on numerical weather prediction models to predict power generated by the wind, so that wind farms operate to max potential.
Predictive time frames range from an hour to days ahead of time. LLNL scientists plan to include ocean circulation and wake-turbulence studies to determine the most suitable sites for deep-ocean wind farms. Using this data, Aines says wind operators can find the best locations for wind farms, on or offshore. In California, the only option for offshore wind turbines would be in the deep ocean, away from coastlines.
Offshore wind projects in the U.S. must strike a balance between technological and economic challenges and adhere to more demanding environmental requirements to be successful. The latest generation of offshore turbines is equipped to meet the challenges of the ocean environment and weather extremes, which can limit access for routine maintenance. According to the American Wind Energy Association, wind energy made up 2.3% of U.S. electricity by the end of 2010, up from 1.8% a year ago.

LLNL
Llnl.gov


Filed Under: Construction, News, Offshore wind
Tagged With: Lawrence Livermore, LLNL, Offshore Wind, Sway
 

About The Author

Paul Dvorak

Related Articles Read More >

US government allows Empire Wind offshore project to resume construction
Richardson Electronics to deliver pitch energy modules to TransAlta wind fleets
Equinor halts work on Empire Wind offshore project after federal government order
ARESCA wants input on offshore wind standards

Podcasts

Wind Spotlight: Looking back at a year of Thrive with ZF Wind Power
See More >

Windpower Engineering & Development Digital Edition Archive

Digital Edition

Explore the full archive of digital issues of Windpower Engineering & Development, presented in a high-quality, user-friendly format. Access current and past editions, clip, share, and download valuable content from the industry’s leading wind power engineering resource.

Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Wind Articles
  • Solar Power World
  • Subscribe to Windpower Engineering
  • About Us/Contact Us

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising

Search Windpower Engineering & Development

  • Home
  • Articles
    • Most recent posts
    • News
    • Featured
  • Resources
    • Digital issues
    • Podcasts
    • Suppliers
    • Webinars
    • Events
  • Videos
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Magazine
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe