Wind farm weather buoy gets new locale off O.C.
The meteorological data it collects will aid the design of what could be New Jersey's first offshore wind farm.
For more than a year, a weather buoy has been anchored just off the coast of Atlantic City, running through the drill of collecting and sending meteorological information that will help in the design of what could be New Jersey's first offshore wind farm.
Last week, having passed this initial test, it was towed offshore and reanchored at a site 11 miles east of Ocean City -- in an offshore area leased from the U. S. Department of Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. It's also where Fishermen's Energy, which deployed the buoy, intends to build a 350 MW wind farm.
"The device is now operating in 65 feet of water and transmitting environmental and meteorological data back to Fishermen's offices to support windfarm design and development," said Stephen O'Malley, Fishermen's Director of Metocean Assessments.
In other words: The company is yet another step closer to its goal.
What's going on out there? Here's the description from Fishermen's:
The Fishermen's Wind Sentinel is a suite of environmental monitoring sensors which are installed on a buoy platform called the NOMAD. Developed by the U.S. Navy in the 1940's, the NOMAD has proven to be a reliable platform still used by NOAA and major oceanographic research institutions. The primary system in the Wind Sentinel is a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) wind measurement device which provides information on wind speed, direction and shear from the water surface to a height of nearly 500 feet.
"These measurements provide information for energy production estimates, as well as details about the wind effects across the rotor swept area of the planned turbines," said Chris Wissemann, Fishermen's CEO, in a press release. "The measurements aid in blade and other equipment design."
More from the company: The Fishermen's Wind Sentinel also collects information on oceanography and wildlife. Wave and ocean current meters provide data on the forces that will impact the turbine foundations so that engineers can design the structures to withstand extreme storm events. Bird, bat, and marine mammal detection systems listen continuously for the presence of wildlife so that any potential impacts can be measured and minimized.
Supported in part by the NJ Board of Public Utilities offshore wind rebate program, Fishermen's has installed a network of environmental monitoring systems along the state's coast. It includes surface buoys, land based towers, radar systems for bird detection, and underwater microphones for detection of whales and dolphins.
As a Department of Energy grant recipient, Fishermen's noted in the press release that it is working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and other leading researchers to come up with ways to lower the cost of building offshore windfarms and develop systems to minimize environmental impacts.