The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) has funded the installation of a Windcube lidar off the state’s southern coast to advance the planning and permitting of offshore wind in the area.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and AWS Truepower have installed the device at the institution’s Martha’s Vineyard Coastal Observatory, which is located two miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.
The lidar, supplied by RNRG Systems, will provide a continuous record of the wind resource across the full vertical rotor span of turbines used in offshore projects.
The data will be used to validate and improve existing wind models as well as to increase industry and regulatory confidence in the value of the resources off Massachusetts and Rhode Island, according to MassCEC.
“Massachusetts’ forward-looking and targeted investments in research and infrastructure have made it the epicenter of the offshore wind industry in the United States,” MassCEC Interim chief executive Stephen Pike said.
“This data is essential to developers as they plan construction of their projects, making partnerships like this one with RNRG and AWS Truepower critical to the growth of the Massachusetts and US markets.”
Image: Windcube lidar (Matt Filippelli, AWS Truepower)
