@NWTC Newsletter

@NWTC is a newsletter from the Energy Department's National Wind Technology Center (NWTC) at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The vision of the NWTC is to be an essential partner for the technical development and deployment of wind and water power. This newsletter provides information about the NWTC's research and development projects, its accomplishments, upcoming events, and recent publications.

Winter 2016 Issue

• Collaborations Move Industry Forward, Prove Mutually Beneficial

• NREL Researchers Play Integral Role in National Offshore Wind Strategy

• NWTC's Grid Capabilities Providing Value for Partners

• NREL to Lead Novel Field Demonstration of Wind Turbine Control at the Wind Power Plant Level

• Largest Generator Validation Yet at the NWTC

• NWTC Infrastructure Is (Literally) for the Birds

Project and Program Updates

Collaborations Move Industry Forward, Prove Mutually Beneficial

Collaboration with industry and academic partners is often the key to success for research conducted by the NWTC at the NREL. Two recent projects exemplify the benefits of working closely with organizations that bring different strengths to the table. NREL and GE Global Research are collaborating to advance its use of NREL's Simulator fOr Wind Farm Applications and NWTC researchers are partnering with the University of Stuttgart, Delft University of Technology, and the University of Colorado at Boulder using lidar technology to "see" the wake of one turbine and how it affects other turbines. More

NREL Researchers Play Integral Role in National Offshore Wind Strategy

The national energy landscape has changed significantly since the first national strategy for offshore wind was released in 2011. With the first operational offshore wind farm along the Atlantic Coast now generating electricity, the United States is beginning a new era of wind energy production. This fact is highlighted in the National Offshore Wind Strategy: Facilitating the Development of the Offshore Wind Industry in the United States, which was coauthored by the Energy Department, the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and NREL. More

NWTC's Grid Capabilities Providing Value for Partners

When the NWTC at NREL commissioned a new 5-megawatt dynamometer facility and controllable grid interface in fall 2013, it created a unique opportunity for the Energy Department, industry, and other partners. The simulated grid capabilities at the NWTC allow users to test generation on a multimegawatt scale at medium-voltage levels and couple it with the resource variability. Wind and ocean power industry partners and researchers are increasingly taking advantage of the opportunity to conduct a wide range of trials on the mechanical and electrical power-producing systems of wind and ocean wave turbines. More

NREL to Lead Novel Field Demonstration of Wind Turbine Control at the Wind Power Plant Level

The NWTC at NREL teams in systems engineering and wind power plant controls have been selected to lead a novel field demonstration to improve wind energy production and help commercialize clean energy technologies.This project pairs NREL with NextEra Energy Resources and Ystrategies to test wind turbine technology controls at the overall wind power plant level. More

Largest Generator Validation Yet at the NWTC

The NWTC's dynamometer test facility recently welcomed one of the largest generators ever validated on its 5-megawatt dynamometer. Columbia Power Technologies is partnering with the NWTC to characterize a direct-drive wave energy generator. As part of its product validation and risk mitigation efforts, Columbia Power is validating the power take-off system of its innovative wave power technology called the StingRAY. More

NWTC Infrastructure Is (Literally) for the Birds

The NWTC is building a reputation as a research and validation resource for technology and software that will help detect and deter bird and bat interactions. Earlier this year, researchers and engineers from Oregon State University and the University of Washington's Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center used the NWTC to test an array of sensors designed to continuously monitor for interactions (including impacts) of birds and bats with offshore wind turbines—with similar applications for land-based turbines. More