July 29, 2021
The Hywind Scotland wind farm had the highest capacity for any wind farm in the United Kingdom during 2020. (Photo: Øyvind Gravås / Woldcam)
Northern California has some of the strongest offshore winds in the U.S., with immense potential to produce clean energy. But it has a problem. Its continental shelf drops off quickly, making building traditional wind turbines directly on the seafloor costly if not impossible.
Once water gets more than about 200 feet deep roughly the height of an 18-story building these monopile structures are pretty much out of the question.
A solution has emerged that’s being tested in several locations around the world: making wind turbines that float. In fact, in California, where drought is putting pressure on the hydropower supply and fires have threatened electricity imports from the Pacific Northwest, the state is moving forward on plans to develop the nation’s first floating offshore wind farms as we speak.
Mindseed teams up with Ocean Energy to explore satellite-based solutions for marine energy
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How Floating Offshore Wind Farms Work
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