Wind turbulence and wind shadow effects created by offshore wind turbines can impact on other turbines within the same offshore station. They can also negatively affect the performance of neighbouring offshore stations.
A €3.8 million grant from the federal environment ministry BMU (Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz und Reaktorsicherheit) has enabled Oldenburg university to buy a multilidar laser-optical remote-sensing instrument, currently unique in the world, to measure such effects.
The research partners include German turbine manufacturer Bard Engineering which has six offshore projects in the North Sea "German Bight" region. The Gigawatt Wakes team will access the 80 turbine, 400MW Bard 1 offshore station, currently under construction, and collect data, which, for the first time, will provide information on the wind shadow effects of a substantial offshore wind station.
The results will be important for planning and optimisation of large wind stations as well as for design of the next generation of wind turbines, commented Daniel Brickwell, head of marketing at parent company Bard Holding.
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