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LIVERMORE, Calif. - Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has signed an agreement with Siemens Energy Inc. to provide high-resolution atmospheric modeling capabilities to improve the efficiency of wind farm sites, turbine design and wind farm operations,

LLNL will provide numerical weather prediction models with resolution as fine as one-kilometer scale to predict power generated by the wind so that wind farms can operate more efficiently while providing more power to hungry grids. Predictive time frames range from an hour ahead to days ahead of time.

Julie Lundquist

Under a $2 million, two-year Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), the Livermore team will provide modeling that combines Livermore's atmospheric turbulence modeling capabilities with complex databases of topography and sea surface temperature.

Many U.S. wind parks are yielding up to 20% less energy than predicted because of uncertain forecasts.

This loss of energy can have complicated financial consequences, such as significant penalties if operators under-produce their forecasts or no payment for extra power they generate that is more than what was estimated.

More accurate wind predictions will have a positive effect on wind farm operators and owners who can know hours or days ahead of time how wind conditions will affect power generation.

"Knowing the certainty of the forecast can be useful in a day-ahead or futures market where now there are penalties for under-performance," said Julie Lundquist, a Livermore atmospheric scientist who is heading the project. "At LLNL, we have developed improved methods for simulating the turbulent properties of the lower atmosphere, which we think will translate into a significant predictive advantage for wind energy applications."

The wind forecasting project started under a Laboratory Directed Research Development program, a principal source of internal R&D funding at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Reduce Investment Risks

More accurate predictions also could reduce the investment risks in wind-powered projects, could improve the design of tall wind turbines to withstand the high turbulence environment higher in the atmosphere, and enable optimal bids on wind farm production.

The Department of Energy (DOE) and Siemens recently signed a memorandum of understanding to work together on wind technology.

"Through this agreement wind manufacturers, DOE and our laboratories will enhance wind technology capability to be a competitive energy supply for America," said Steve Lindenberg, senior adviser for DOE's Renewable Energy Office. "Siemens growing presence in this country and the partnership with a national laboratory like Lawrence Livermore helps provide a new opportunity to deploy a clean source of energy."

Benefits of Wind Power

Wind offers power with minimal carbon dioxide emission - energy production without exacerbating global climate change. Wind generation is not limited by water availability and serves a viable role in energy portfolios worldwide as economies expand beyond petroleum.

In addition to providing hourly and daily predictions, Livermore will explore impacts of global climate change on wind resources 20 years into the future.

"Estimates of climate change impact can reduce long-term investment risks," Lundquist said.

Wind Forecasts for Turbine Predictions

Lundquist said Siemens would translate LLNL forecasts of wind speed and wind direction at each turbine into power collected.

While the value of forecasting is hard to quantify, several studies have suggested that more accurate forecasting can render not only more clean energy but also enhanced profits for industry.

A study performed by a member of the industry of the effect of 3,300 megawatts (MW) of wind generation in New York state quantified improved forecasting to be worth $125 million a year to that region. Based on a conservative application of this figure, Stiesdal estimates that wind farm owners may be able to increase revenue by as much as 10 percent, making wind power more profitable and ultimately reducing the cost of energy.

Siemens Wind Power Investments

Since 2004, Siemens has installed nearly 1,800 megawatts of power in the United States. The company ranks third among the largest U.S. turbine manufacturers, according to the most recent American Wind Energy Association's annual rankings report.

Siemens Energy is the world's leading supplier of a complete spectrum of products, services and solutions for the generation, transmission and distribution of power and for the extraction, conversion and transport of oil and gas.

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

With energy being seen as part of national security, national labs are focused on solving US and global energy shortages that can create international tension.

Founded in 1952, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is a national security laboratory, with a mission to ensure national security and apply science and technology to the important issues of our time. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is managed by Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.

Large Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing

Clemson University will receive up to $45 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for a wind energy test facility that will enhance the performance, durability, and reliability of utility-scale wind turbines.

This investment will support jobs and strengthen American leadership in wind energy technology by supporting the testing of next-generation wind turbine designs.

Clean Energy Industrial Revolution

"Wind power holds tremendous potential to help create new jobs and reduce carbon pollution," said Secretary Chu. "We are at the beginning of a new Industrial Revolution when it comes to clean energy and projects like these will help us get there faster."

Clemson Based Large Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing Facility

The Large Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing facility will enable the United States, which leads the world in wind energy capacity, to expand development and testing of large-scale wind turbine drive-train systems domestically.

Wind turbine sizes have increased with each new generation of turbines, and have outgrown the capacity of existing U.S. drivetrain testing facilities.

The new testing capability will ultimately improve U.S. competitiveness in wind energy technology, will lower energy costs for consumers, and will maintain rapid growth in the deployment of wind energy systems.

The new facility will be located at the Charleston Naval Complex, a former Navy base in North Charleston, South Carolina, and will be a part of the Clemson University Restoration Institute campus.

The test facility will operate as a non-profit organization with a business model designed for sustainability while providing ongoing state-of-the-art testing to wind turbine manufacturers.

The Large Wind Turbine Drivetrain Testing facility will feature power analysis equipment capable of performing highly accelerated life testing of land-based and offshore wind turbine drive systems rated at 5-15 megawatts (MW). These dynamometer tests of drivetrains are required to demonstrate compliance with wind turbine design standards, reduce wind turbine costs, secure product financing, and reduce the technical and financial risk of deploying mass-produced wind turbine models.

Learn more about DOE's Wind and Hydropower Technologies Program.

The MOU between DOE and the six major turbine manufacturers demonstrates the shared commitment of the federal government and the private sector to create the roadmap necessary to achieve 20 percent wind energy by 2030, DOE Assistant Secretary Karsner said. “To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance our energy security, clean power generation at the gigawatt-scale will be necessary to expand the domestic wind manufacturing base and streamline the permitting process.”

Today’s agreement builds on the recently released DOE report 20 Percent Wind Energy in 2030 that examines the technical feasibility of harnessing wind power to provide up to 20 percent of the nation’s total electricity needs by 2030.  Most notably, the report finds that by using wind power to meet 20 percent of our nation’s electricity needs, we can eliminate 7.6 cumulative gigatons of CO2 by 2030 and 825 million metric tons in 2030 and every year thereafter.

Under the MOU, DOE and the six turbine manufacturers (GE Energy, Siemens Power Generation, Vestas Wind Systems, Clipper Turbine Works, Suzlon Energy, and Gamesa Corporation) will collaborate to gather and exchange information to define specific needs for achieving 20 percent wind energy by 2030. The MOU addresses the following areas:

• Turbine Reliability and Operability Research & Development to create more reliable components; improve turbine capacity factors; and reduce installation and operations and maintenance costs.
• Siting Strategies to address environmental and technical issues like radar interference in a standardized framework based on industry best practices.
• Standards Development for turbine certification and universal generator interconnection.
• Manufacturing advances in design, process automation and fabrication techniques to reduce product-to product variability and premature failure while increasing the domestic manufacturing base.
• Workforce development including the development, standardization and certification of wind energy curricula for mechanical and power systems engineers and community college training programs.

Read more about ‘20 Percent Wind Energy by 2030.’

Read more information about DOE’s Wind Program.

Full text of the Memorandum of Understanding.