The University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center and the DeepCwind Consortium released the Maine Offshore Wind Report today. The report is available for download online at DeepCwind.org/offshorewindreport.
UMaine Prof. Habib Dagher is leading statewide efforts to develop the technology and infrastructure that will enable Maine to capitalize on deepwater offshore wind as an energy resource.
Funded by more than $1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy and compiled by the University of Maine and the James W. Sewall Company, the report examines economics and policy, electrical grid integration, wind and wave, bathymetric, soil, and environmental research. It also includes summaries of assembly and construction sites, critical issues for project development and permitting.
The Maine Offshore Wind Report reflects the compiled efforts of a team of contributors organized by UMaine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center. This team includes the University of Maine, James W. Sewall Company; RLC Engineering; Vienna Ventures; W.F. Baird & Associates Coastal Engineers Ltd.; Kleinschmidt Associates; Bernstein, Shur, Sawyer, & Nelson, P.A.; Island Institute; Maine Composites Alliance; Maine Wind Industry Initiative; and Black & Veatch Corporation.
The DeepCwind Consortium was established in October 2009 through a competitive grant program awarded by the Department of Energy to advance renewable energy goals. This group of experts and leaders, across a wide range of industries and academic disciplines, is developing floating offshore wind technology to harness the powerful winds located in waters beyond the reach of traditional fixed-foundation turbines.
The DeepCwind Consortium’s mission is to establish the State of Maine as a national leader in deepwater offshore wind technology through a research initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and others. The University of Maine-led consortium includes universities, nonprofits, and utilities; a wide range of industry leaders in offshore design, offshore construction, and marine structures manufacturing; firms with expertise in wind project siting, environmental analysis, environmental law, composites materials to assist in corrosion-resistant material design and selection, and energy investment; and industry organizations to assist with education and tech transfer activities.
Advanced Structures and Composites Center is a state-of-the-art one-stop-shop for integrated composite materials and structural component development. Located at the University of Maine, it offers in-house capabilities for developing a composite product or structure from the conceptual stage through research, manufacturing of prototypes, comprehensive testing and evaluation, code approval and commercialization. In the past year it has been awarded nearly $40 million in funding to pursue research in deepwater offshore wind energy technology.
[mappress]
Source: deepcwind, February 24, 2011