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Title: Micrometeorological impacts of offshore wind farms as seen in observations and simulations

Journal Article · · Environmental Research Letters

In Europe, offshore wind farms have a capacity of 16 GW, with 71% installed at the North Sea. These wind farms represent an additional source of turbulence and may influence the stratification of the marine boundary layer. We present aircraft measurements and simulations showing an impact on temperature and humidity at hub height in the order of 0.5 K and 0.5 g kg-1 even 60 km downwind of a wind farm cluster. We extend these simulations to explore a realistic future scenario, suggesting wakes in potential temperature and water vapor propagating more than 100 km downwind. Furthermore, such impacts of wind farms are only observed in case of a strong stable stratification at rotor height, allowing wind farms to mix warmer air downward.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1492504
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA--5000-73183
Journal Information:
Environmental Research Letters, Journal Name: Environmental Research Letters Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 13; ISSN 1748-9326
Publisher:
IOP PublishingCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Turbulent kinetic energy over large offshore wind farms observed and simulated by the mesoscale model WRF (3.8.1) journal January 2020
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In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170523_flight21 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170815_flight37 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20160908_flight04 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20160910_flight07 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170602_flight29 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170524_flight23 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170531_flight27 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170406_flight12 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170409_flight14 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20171015_flight41 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170808_flight30 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20160907_flight02 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170517_flight19 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20171015_flight40 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20160909_flight06 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20160909_flight05 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170331_flight10 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170523_flight21 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170517_flight18 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170411_flight16 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170814_flight35 dataset January 2019
In-situ airborne measurements of atmospheric and sea surface parameters related to offshore wind parks in the German Bight, Flight 20170814_flight36 dataset January 2019