What is it about?
This article compares real offshore wind energy production data with theoretical estimates provided by three widely used sources: ERA5 reanalysis, NASA POWER, and the Global Wind Atlas. Focusing on the WindFloat Atlantic floating wind farm off the Portuguese coast, the study analyses data from 2022 and 2023 to evaluate how closely each data source reflects actual energy generation. Key metrics such as wind speed distribution, capacity factor, and energy yield are compared. The goal is to understand which forecasting tools provide the most reliable input for offshore wind modelling and planning. The results show significant deviations between datasets and real production, highlighting the importance of validating theoretical models with empirical data.
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Why is it important?
Offshore wind projects require accurate wind resource assessments to justify investment, design systems, and forecast energy output. However, many studies rely heavily on theoretical or reanalysis data, often without validation against actual production. This article fills that gap by providing a direct comparison between modelled and real-world offshore energy data. It offers valuable insights for developers, engineers, and researchers who rely on forecast data for feasibility studies and performance prediction. The findings also stress the need for better integration of empirical data into wind energy modelling, especially as offshore wind expands into deeper waters and more complex environments.
Perspectives
This article stems from my growing concern with the gap between theory and practice in renewable energy studies. As a researcher, I wanted to test the reliability of common wind data sources against real offshore production figures, something I believe is often overlooked. Working with real data from the WindFloat Atlantic project allowed me to critically assess tools that are routinely used in academia and industry. I see this contribution as a step toward improving transparency, accuracy, and credibility in offshore wind assessment, and I hope it encourages others to adopt a more empirical and comparative approach in their work.
Dr Fernando M Camilo
Universidade de Lisboa
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: A comparative analysis of real and theoretical data in offshore wind energy generation, e-Prime - Advances in Electrical Engineering Electronics and Energy, March 2025, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.prime.2025.100901.
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