Design of an Offshore Wind Farm on Lake Michigan: Part 1

The potential of offshore wind is among the newest technologies in renewable energy. Utilizing a 10% wind speed increase over open waters, an increase in power production can be seen of approximately 30%. In the present study, a location on Lake Michigan is determined based on the wind resources, lakebed depth, and ease of access to existing onshore substations and transmission lines. An analysis of the wind resources at the site will be used to determine if the development of the site is feasible. A turbine review and park layout analysis is completed to give the base for Part 2 (the design phase). Part 2 outline is presented.