Distributed Wind Research Program Workshop Report Released

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Wind Energy Technologies Office

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February 4, 2021

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In This Issue

Continue to follow the Wind Energy Technologies Office for the latest news, events, and updates.


News

Distributed Wind Research Program Workshop Report Released

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) Distributed Wind Research Program hosted a virtual workshop over the course of three days in August and September of 2020. The goal of the workshop was to bring together laboratory and industry project stakeholders to promote collaboration across the program and to identify future research challenges and opportunities for distributed wind. The workshop report provides reference material for both current and potential future WETO-funded distributed wind research projects on key research topics, which topics would benefit from collaboration and coordination, and potential modes of collaboration.

National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium Announces Five New Awards

On January 26, the National Offshore Wind R&D Consortium announced the competitive selection of five new research projects, bringing the total number of awards to date to 25, representing an investment of $20 million. These awards were made under the first of three rounds announced for this year’s solicitation. This round focused on Enabling Large-Scale Turbines and covers the following three areas of research:

  • Enabling Fabrication and Installation of Future Foundations
  • Port & Marine Systems Innovation to Support Offshore Logistics
  • Port Gaps Assessments and Strategies.

The second and third rounds of the solicitation, the selectees for which will be announced later, focus on Support Structure Innovation, Supply Chain Development, Electrical Systems & Innovation, and Conflicting Use Mitigation.

The Consortium was initially established in 2018 by DOE and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, each contributing $20.5 million, to fund high-impact research projects that lower U.S. offshore wind costs and support supply chain development. State agencies in Maryland, Virginia, and Massachusetts have since contributed funding to the Consortium, resulting in a total investment of around $46 million. The Consortium’s first RFP resulted in 20 awards totaling $17.3 million. Additional information on the mission of the Consortium and its membership of leading offshore wind developers, research institutions, and industrial partners may be found at https://nationaloffshorewind.org/.

Wind Resource Maps - Video Tutorial for Understanding Land-Based and Offshore Wind Resource Maps

WETO's WINDExchange initiative continues to publish maps of wind resources at 100-meter hub height to provide easy-to-understand snapshots of wind energy potential based on validated data specific to different regions of the United States. Funded by WETO and developed by experts at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, these maps depict the quality of available wind resources in different regions, which can aid preliminary efforts to understand wind resource availability in an area. A new video tutorial explains how to read these new maps, where to access them, and the difference between land-based and offshore wind resource maps.

WISDEM Update Improves User Experience, Takes Systems Engineering Approach to Wind Energy Project Design

The Wind Plant Integrated Systems Design and Engineering Model (WISDEM) has been upgraded to improve the user experience. Developed by DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, WISDEM is a systems engineering software tool that couples engineering and cost models to help engineers understand system-level tradeoffs of design tweaks and take a holistic, systemic approach to their designs. The software allows users to swap out the blades in a turbine design, for example, and then evaluate what the impact of this change would be on other components, as well as on the overall cost and performance of the whole turbine. Thanks to recent updates—including the development of a cohesive documentation guide, the addition of WISDEM case studies, and the incorporation of a new drivetrain model—the tool is now more user-friendly than ever before. Explore the new WISDEM interface and features.

DOE Announces Approximately $123.6 Million to Bolster Domestic Manufacturing through Innovation

On January 13, DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced approximately $123.6 million in funding, as well as $44.7 million of cost share, for 46 projects in 23 states to stimulate technology innovation, improve the energy productivity of American manufacturing, and enable the manufacturing of cutting-edge products in the United States. Of this, seven projects totaling $19.5 million in DOE funding and $6.6 million in cost share are for Integrated Additive Manufacturing Processes for Advanced Wind Blade Production.

Read more about the projects HERE. See Topic Area 1, Subtopic 1.4.

Projects are funded through EERE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, which supports the development of technologies that improve energy efficiency in U.S. manufacturing as well as foundational, cross-cutting manufacturing processes, information, and materials technologies critical to efficient and competitive domestic manufacturing.

Updated Application Process for Offshore Environmental Research Funding Opportunity

On January 15, EERE released a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Offshore Wind Energy Environmental Research and Instrumentation Validation. The FOA was originally posted on the EERE Program Information Center, but due to intermittent performance issues, EERE has decided to temporarily move all FOA application submissions activities back to the EERE Funding Opportunity Exchange.  Applications for the Offshore Wind Energy Environmental Research and Instrumentation Validation FOA should now be submitted through the Exchange website. For more information about this change, click HERE. If you have any additional questions, you can contact the EERE Program Information Center Help Desk at eere-epichelpdesk@ee.doe.gov


In Case You Missed It

EERE Is Hiring!

DOE has Direct Hire Authority for General Engineers that allows EERE to more quickly hire qualified applicants in this category than through the traditional government hiring process. WETO is seeking a General Engineer with experience in power electronics/power systems engineering. If you’re interested in this position, please email EEREhiring@ee.doe.gov and include your name, the best way you can be reached, and the position and EERE office that interests you. Then attach your resume.

PLEASE NOTE: Do not include sensitive personal information in your resume. We do NOT want you to include your social security number, photos of you, information about your age or gender, or any government-sensitive information. If EERE is interested after reviewing your resume, the DOE Human Capital office will contact you to request a transcript demonstrating that your educational background meets the basic eligibility requirements of the position in question.