Influence of wind conditions on siting, design and performance considerations for offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Mexico region

Abstract

In this paper Gulf of Mexico wind conditions are analyzed to distinguish suitable regions for wind farm development. A turbine merit rating parameter is introduced to evaluate the combined effects of rotor size, turbine rating and economical boundary conditions. An analytical approach is then taken to match local site conditions with a suitable wind turbine rating and rotor size configuration. Hurricane extreme wind data, annual wind speed distributions and environmental restrictions are considered to identify shallow water areas, suitable for the operation of offshore wind turbines.