A Role for a Nationwide Network of Networks in Harnessing the Power of Wind

Will Shaw2009 AMS Summer Community Meeting

Windy Point—Columbia River Gorge

20% Electrical Power from Wind by 2030

20% is feasible

ChallengesTransmission

Load balancing

Environmental concerns: such as siting and wildlife

Reduction of capital costs, including improved turbine performance

Challenge: Transmission

Design life for wind plants is a few decades

Transmission infrastructure may last for a century

Connects sources with loadsMajor national investment

Climate is changingWhat if the wind resource moves?

Challenge: Load Balancing

Accurate forecasting is needed for wind ramp events Minutes to a few hours for adaptive operationsDay-ahead for planningAccurate on the local scale (and in complex terrain)

Challenge: Reduction of Cost

Premature mechanical failuresInadequate characterization of shear and turbulence in inflow contributes to design challenges

Under-production of electricity by wind plants (siting issue)

Wake-turbine interactionErrors in wind resource assessment

Ludeca, Inc., cited by Butterfield at DOE Workshop on Research Needs for Wind Resource Characterization

Meeting the Challenges

Data GapsCurrently sparse data in many areas of wind resource

Data that exist are often at the surfaceInformation needed at turbine heights

Not all data that could be useful are readily accessibleOutmoded storage of valuable historical dataProprietary issues with some data

New kinds of measurements are needed

Knowledge Gaps

DOE Workshop on Research Needs for Wind Resource Characterization

January 2008

Jointly sponsored by DOE’s Office of Science (BER) and Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Convened to identify research needs to support development of wind energy

More than 100 participants from national laboratories, academia, and industry

Research Needs for Wind Resource Characterization

Discussions Organized by ScaleTurbine DynamicsMicrositing and Array EffectsMesoscale ProcessesClimate Effects

Cross-cutting ThemesNeed for data to validate and improve modelsNeed for model improvement across the range of scales

Research Needs: Turbine Dynamics

Accurate Models for Isolated Turbine Inflow

Shear (e.g., Low-level jets)Turbulence details

Models for Wake-Turbine Interaction

Solvers to span DNS/LES/DES/RANS hierarchyNovel measurements for inflow and blade and wake flow

Characterization of Extreme and Anomalous Inflow Events

Improved databases from representative localesImproved ability to model in arbitrary environments

(Kelley, et al. 2004: NREL TP-500-34593)

Research Needs: Micrositing and Array Effects

Development of Improved Wake ModelsBetter performance for >4 rows of turbines

Advancement of ABL Research and DevelopmentDetailed observations from 50–200 m AGLImproved understanding and model treatment in this layer

Development of new networks to provide reference dataNear substantial wind resourcesObservational requirements for atmosphere–turbine interaction more demanding than current networks can satisfy.

Horse Hollow Wind Center, Texas

Research Needs: Mesoscale Processes

Fundamental Improvement in Understanding of Mesoscale and Local Flows

Low-level jetsStable boundary layersSurface roughness effects (canopies, complex terrain)Surface–atmosphere energy exchange

Deployment of New Instruments and Observational Strategies

Integrated strategies including remote sensingImproved techniques for model–data comparisonMulti-season and multi-location validation

Simulated TKE over the Salt Lake Valley [Fast, 2002]

Research Needs: Mesoscale Processes (ctd)Development of Wind Forecasting Technologies for Siting, Adaptive Operations

Data assimilation with rapid updatingQuantification of uncertainty for operationsBetter linking of turbine-scale (CFD, LES) with meso- and synoptic scale simulations

Sharp and Mass, BAMS, 2002. Columbia Gorge Winds ~140 m AGL.

Research Needs: Climate Effects

Quantify and Understand Historic Trends and Variability of Wind Resources

Quantification of current wind speed and energy climatesDetermination of cause of historical trends

Improve Predictions of Wind Resource Mean and VariabilityScale reconciliation (downscaling)Development of long-term data sets for validation

Interactions between Wind Plants and Local/Regional/Global Climates

Recap: Representative Data Needs

New Kinds of DataTurbine inflow; blade and wake flowNew instruments and observational strategies

Domain coverage for assimilationDevelopment of subgrid-scale parameterizations

Mix of Current and New DataValidation and improvement of models at all scalesDetailed observations 50-100 m AGLAssimilation data for rapid updating of forecastsQuantification of current wind speed and energy climates

Long-term data sets for validation of climate downscaling

Utility of Current Networks (Examples)

http://www.profiler.noaa.gov/npn/npnSiteMap.jsp

http://www.mesonet.org/images/siteIDs.gif

Value of NoN to Wind Energy

Incentives for Metadata

Filling Gaps and Avoiding Redundancies

Consistent Data Collection and Archives

IP Rights and Data Ownership

Leveraging of Multiple Organizational Resources

(From Ch. 7, Observing the Weather and Climate from the Ground Up)

Time Scales

Operational Time ScaleNOWNot well-matched (currently) to NoN development times

Research Time Scale3–20 yearsA NoN would increasingly enhance productivity

Infrastructure Time Scale5 years to decadesExpensive decisions in processBut…interactions with research and other information will be iterative

My View from within DOE Laboratory System

DOE RolePrimary oversight of national energy enterpriseResearch to support energy needs and response to consequences

Recent workshops and reports on renewables attest

Emphasis on PartnershipsIndustryAcademiaOther federal agencies

Emphasis for national laboratoriesHome of major research resourcesLarge-scale, mission-driven, integrated research programs

Thank you