New and simple access to weather data sets with Shoreline Design™ weather map service
Shoreline Wind’s latest version of Design™ introduces a unique, new feature for applying weather data to your analyses. The new weather map service allows users to quickly retrieve ERA 5 hindcast weather data sets from 1979-2021 covering a wide range of relevant weather parameters with the click of a button, making it incredibly easy to get a solid weather data foundation, especially for early-stage analysis.
The purpose of this feature is to make our simulation much more flexible and hassle-free for new projects. Users will have weather data from around the world at their fingertips for running quick simulations to establish early business cases scenarios on new early-stage projects.
As most users in the initial stages are not certain what weather data to apply to their simulation analysis, Design™ now offers world-wide coverage of ERA5 weather files to choose from to ease the onboarding process.
Shoreline Wind users can now start using this weather map service with a single click to pick the right location and download weather files. As an added convenience, the downloaded weather data is automatically uploaded to the input library.
Previously, this weather data file had to be selected as files from the input library, but now that process is more convenient allowing users to pick relevant weather data directly from a location in the map instead.
Weather downtime assessment is an integral part of wind farm planning
The weather map service is a significant improvement to Shoreline Wind’s weather module, gathering precise assessments of adverse weather events and weather downtime. Weather modelling is a key functionality in de-risking wind projects and applying intelligent modelling, simulation, and optimisation strategies to develop the most cost-effective wind farm scenarios, long before the first shovel hits the ground.
As mentioned above, the weather map service will enhance Design’s applicability for users looking to establish early projects, thereby creating a stronger coherence between weather downtime, availability, and project deadlines for planning sustainable business scenarios. Some of the other key features of Shoreline Wind’s weather module are:
- WEATHER DOWNTIME ASSESSMENTS: Generate P10-P90 weather downtime assessments in minutes for a business case or tender, ready for export to Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project
- HINDCAST & MEASURED TIMESERIES: Use hindcast or measured weather time series with significant wave height, wave direction, wave period, wind speed, wind direction, current velocity, tide (LAT/MSL), visibility, daylight data, and more relevant parameters.
- S-CURVES: Predict the knock-on effect of changes quickly and precisely to adapt risk forecasts, estimates, schedules and more with S-curves of installed assets.
The simulation engine in Shoreline Wind’s Design™ tool allows users to produce multiple runs with different weather assumptions and data, thereby giving a detailed insight into multiple scenarios for upcoming projects.
Far less resources are needed to design, construct, and operate wind farms
As the offshore wind industry continues to experience significant growth, the initial analysing, estimation, and planning phases must operate faster than ever. This is one of the key reasons for the wind industry being in dire need of digitally transforming its processes, which especially applies to the management of weather data and how we can use this for ongoing optimisation.
Shoreline Wind’s simulation engine is based upon agent-based modelling, and the new weather map service plays into this optimisation methodology, by implementing time-saving interactive processes, by simply accessing weather datasets with a single click.
The agent-based modelling approach boosts productivity and speed. Users can significantly increase the number of what-if analyses you can do simultaneously. Then, when you present your results to management, you can be sure you have looked at all the scenarios.
One of the most recent examples of the powerful usage of Shoreline Design solution, is the collaboration we have done with Tokyo University. The university has offered the platform to master’s students in a course called “Ocean Utilization Systems”. The course aims to bridge the gap between the fundamental knowledge of ocean technologies and actual innovative systems covering the full aspect of wind farm projects including design, fabrication, transportation, installation, and so on.
During this lecture, the master’s students will have to explore the most efficient approach for specific targeted and promising regions in Japan, that presents some challenges in terms of weather. As the coast of Japan is affected by harsh weather conditions, such as typhoons, this needs to be considered when designing robust offshore operations.
You can read the case here: The University of Tokyo uses Shoreline Wind simulation for exploring efficient infrastructure for offshore wind farms
If you are looking for more in-depth information on our agent-based methodology, please look at this article: Four reasons you should use agent-based simulations for your wind projects
If you are looking for more in-depth information on Design Solution, please see this product page: Shoreline Design
