Offshore Wind Data Release Propels Wind Prospecting
NREL has released several new offshore wind data sets that represent 20-year time spans. Using state-of-the-art modeling tools and sophisticated resource assessment technologies, these updated data sets provide wind energy developers, consultants, and researchers access to high-quality wind resource information that can inform future offshore wind energy siting decisions and research.
Floating lidars, such as this U.S. Department of Energy wind resource characterization buoy managed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, collect wind speed and direction measurements up to 250 meters from the surface of the ocean. These measurements, combined with satellite-based measurements of near-surface U.S. offshore wind speeds, help
By Christopher Winter (not verified) on 06 Dec 2015 #permalink
Colour me skeptical. This is a simulation from the same team that added carbon releases from fires started from a global nuclear holocaust to nuclear power s carbon footprint.
By Eamon (not verified) on 07 Dec 2015 #permalink
Greg,
You make some points about the problems of nuclear power plants in your introductory paragraph, point which are widely disseminated, but not as solid as they seem.
On the output-variation problem, the wiki page on Load Following Power Plants has information that this is not a problem with modern nuclear power.
The refueling problem is not really a problem at all, as refueling is a scheduled activity, and so can be mitigated by forward planning.