Exploring the wakes of large offshore wind farms

Offshore meteorological characteristics set specific conditions for the operation of offshore wind farms. One specific feature is low turbulence intensity which on the one hand reduces loads on turbines but on the other hand is the reason for much longer turbine and farm wakes than over land. The German Government is presently funding a research project called WIPAFF (Wind PArk Far Field) which heads for the analysis of properties and impacts of offshore wind park far fields. The focus is on the analysis of wind farm wakes, their interaction among each other and their regional climate impact. This is done by in-situ, extensive aircraft and satellite measurements and by operating meso-scale wind field models and an analytical wind farm model.