Offshore Wind Energy Services

Overview

Offshore wind farm development presents its own set of unique challenges. Limited access to onsite hub-height wind resource measurements makes it more difficult to fully characterize the wind resource in offshore environments. Overcoming this challenge requires a variety of creative solutions. From wind resource and energy assessment to oceanographic studies to wind farm layout and design, your project’s success is our priority. Our offshore team specializes in the management and integration of the multidisciplinary aspects of offshore wind development and has designed and assessed more than 200,000 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar projects, both on land and offshore.

Technical advisory

In the offshore and coastal development arenas, our technical advisory group designs and implements offshore wind resource assessments and metocean studies, including met tower design and review. We employ innovative measurement approaches using buoys, fixed and floating platforms, and remote-sensing technologies for wind measurement and atmospheric characterization. We are also a leader in offshore studies that are paving the way for the development of a viable offshore industry in the United States, including cost-benefit analyses, industry data needs assessments and the evaluation of new technologies

Certification and testing

We help evaluate offshore wind turbines and components. Some of the testing services offered include mechanical load testing, validation and type testing, power performance testing. We are also involved in offshore wind research. Some of the topics we have worked on include incoming wind and wake of turbine, water pressure rings, wave loads, and acoustics and operational noise, all of which impact performance of an offshore turbine.

Learn more about our offshore wind energy services:

Project Development Support

Decisions made during the earliest stages of offshore wind project development are crucial to long-term success. We help you navigate complexities and mitigate risks associated with site screening, feasibility, resource assessment, plant design, energy assessment, technology selection and suitability, infrastructure, balance of plant, permitting support and environment assessment. Visit Renewable Energy Project Development Support to learn more.

Asset Management

Growing investments in renewable power plants, aging fleets and the desire to ensure safety while maximizing asset value all drive companies to our asset management services. We help you evaluate and optimize your projects’ operations and maintenance, contracts, health and safety, and remaining useful life. Our goal is to help you maximize energy production, reduce downtime and operations and maintenance (O&M costs), ensure project safety, and support key decisions around asset life and repowering. See Renewables Asset Advisory for more information.

Due Diligence

We provide comprehensive, flexible and timely due diligence services for the wind industry. We help make the critical financial close of a wind project as smooth and successful as possible. Our technical and commercial expertise, along with our understanding of the intricacies of project finance, make us the ideal partner for developers looking to raise capital. Our team of engineers and technical advisers will help you prepare your project for financing, mitigate risk, and ensure it is technically sound and ready for construction. The approach we employ for our Independent Engineering (IE) reports has been thoroughly vetted with some of the world’s top lead arrangers and lenders, so we know exactly what they are looking for, helping to ensure a timely transaction. Visit Solar and Wind Project Due Diligence Services for more information.

Grid Solutions

Our grid solutions services focus on integrating large quantities of renewable energy into the power grid. As the renewable energy market grows, so does the importance of quantifying the impact of centralized and distributed wind and solar technologies on our power infrastructure. Understanding power generation characteristics that result from wind variability across space and time is key to ensuring safe, reliable and economical operations. See Grid Solutions to learn more.

Software and Data

We offer a range of software products to support the development, assessment and operation of renewable energy projects. These products leverage our knowledge and expertise to enable your team to do its work more productively, effectively and the option to work more independently. See Renewable Energy Software Solutions to learn more.

Certification

As wind energy technologies advance, their continued safety, reliability and performance must be assured. As safety science experts, we help clients navigate these risks through certification for products, projects and grid code compliance. The UL certification extends compliance and provides assurance and confidence in the reliability of renewable energy technology. See Wind Energy Testing, Inspection, Certification Services to learn more.

Testing and Inspection

Manufacturers looking to verify the safety, reliability and performance of renewable technologies, such as wind turbines and peripheral equipment, rely on our technical and safety science experts to help navigate the risks. We operate renewable energy testing sites around the globe and perform inspections of operating equipment in the field. Visit Wind Energy Testing, Inspection, Certification Services for more information.

Why UL Solutions

Our offshore wind collaboration activities are reflected by involvement in research and leadership roles.

• Meteorological measurements on FINO1, a research platform for the offshore wind energy generation of the Federal Ministry of Environment (BMU)
• Development and planning of measurement program/systems and data management, including light detection and ranging (LiDAR) for Research at Alpha Ventus (RAVE)
• Facilitator and co-author of “A Framework for Offshore Wind Energy Development in the United States” on behalf of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, U.S. Department of Energy and General Electric.
• Primary author of the “New Jersey Offshore Wind Energy Feasibility Study” for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
• Part of 2011 U.S. Department of Energy team of experts to identify sites for high offshore potential and grid interconnection for all U.S. coastal regions.