6 ms·

What's the reason for going offshore? Is the wind not as strong on land?

sandworm101 9y ago
Fewer issues re land owners. Wind tends to be more steady at sea.
philipkglass 9y ago
Offshore you can install bigger turbines, because sea transportation of turbine components is not size-limited like rail/road transport. Taller turbines help to reach wind resources that are stronger and steadier. Also, even at the same height, offshore wind resources are often better than they are a few km inland. Finally, offshore wind can supply power to densely populated coastal areas when there isn't room to build turbines on land. The disadvantages are higher construction and maintenance costs; waves and salt water are much more challenging to materials than the ordinary conditions onshore turbine towers experience.
- throwaway613834 9y ago
  Great, thank you!
- edejong 9y ago
  Perfect answer. Another reason, which kind of joins with the density of the population is the significant noise pollution of larger wind farms.
greglindahl 9y ago
Most cities are on the coast, so offshore offers generation near where it's needed. Doing offshore does not mean ignoring on-shore. In some cases offshore winds are strong enough that on-shore turbines are less cost effective. That's true for some of the east coast of the US.
Tomte 9y ago
No people complaining about noise, moving shadows and bad aesthetics there.
cucuuc 9y ago
"Is the wind not as strong on land?" Yup ! The turbines are anchored to the sea bed. The wind has a boundary condition against the ground. If the ground is the sea, then the sea current wrt to the sea bed adds to the wind speed wrt to the sea bed. Therefore, the turbines have zero wind speed only if the wind is blowing exactly against the sea current. Which is hard and rare. Because the land boundary condition is different, the further away offshore you are, the better the effect is. Also, you might as well pick spots with known stable sea currents.

Fewer issues re land owners. Wind tends to be more steady at sea.

Offshore you can install bigger turbines, because sea transportation of turbine components is not size-limited like rail/road transport. Taller turbines help to reach wind resources that are stronger and steadier. Also, even at the same height, offshore wind resources are often better than they are a few km inland. Finally, offshore wind can supply power to densely populated coastal areas when there isn't room to build turbines on land. The disadvantages are higher construction and maintenance costs; waves and salt water are much more challenging to materials than the ordinary conditions onshore turbine towers experience.

throwaway613834 9y ago
Great, thank you!
edejong 9y ago
Perfect answer. Another reason, which kind of joins with the density of the population is the significant noise pollution of larger wind farms.

greglindahl 9y ago

Most cities are on the coast, so offshore offers generation near where it's needed. Doing offshore does not mean ignoring on-shore. In some cases offshore winds are strong enough that on-shore turbines are less cost effective. That's true for some of the east coast of the US.

Tomte 9y ago

No people complaining about noise, moving shadows and bad aesthetics there.

cucuuc 9y ago

"Is the wind not as strong on land?" Yup ! The turbines are anchored to the sea bed. The wind has a boundary condition against the ground. If the ground is the sea, then the sea current wrt to the sea bed adds to the wind speed wrt to the sea bed. Therefore, the turbines have zero wind speed only if the wind is blowing exactly against the sea current. Which is hard and rare. Because the land boundary condition is different, the further away offshore you are, the better the effect is. Also, you might as well pick spots with known stable sea currents.