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Project overview:
Development of a Metocean Reference Site near the MA & RI Wind Energy Areas
Awardee:
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI)
Start Date:
Q1, 2021
Technical Challenge Area:
Wind Resource and Site Characterization
Completion Date:
Q3, 2024
Synopsis:
WHOI is developing a metocean reference site near Massachusetts and Rhode Island offshore wind lease areas. The site will use an existing research-grade, offshore fixed tower to support advanced data collection and validation for a multi-year characterization of the area.
Target Outcomes:
1
Expand publicly available reference datasets on metocean offshore observations to establish MORS-1 as a long-term reference site. A temporary expansion of metocean sensing to a nearby land-based site will add critical spatial context to the MORS-1 data set.
2
Remove barriers to U.S.-based in situ validation activities by developing a pre-permitted lidar buoy validation site at MORS-1 which leverages the ongoing reference data collection.
3
Demonstrate the ability of the MORS-1 data to reduce uncertainty in energy yield assessments for Wind Energy Areas and assess possible differences/similarities with northern European baseline records such as those collected at the FINO towers.
4
Develop a best practices document relating to the testing, validation, and calibration of measurement systems against reference site measurements that will link with the ongoing American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)-organized Metocean Standards process.
