Global offshore wind energy resources using the new ERA-5 reanalysis

Abstract

Abstract A global quantitative characterization of offshore wind power density is presented over the economic exclusive zones (EEZs), at annual and seasonal scales, based on the recently released ECMWF ERA-5 reanalysis. Compared to its predecessors, ERA-5 features increased spatial and temporal resolutions, along with improved model parameterizations and data assimilation methodologies. Consequently, the present study represents an updated benchmark of wind resources over the global oceans. Further robustness to this argument is provided by our results showing that of the EEZs with large wind energy potential are characterized by regional-scale circulation features (coastal jets and breezes, land-sea and topographic circulations), known require high model resolution to be accurately simulated. Additionally, it is demonstrated that larger errors (up to 50%) can result from estimating wind power density from logarithmically extrapolated near-surface wind speed when compared to using high-resolution model level information. Coarser (daily) temporal resolution is also found to cause widespread increases in offshore wind power density errors between 10% and 30% compared to higher (hourly) resolution data. Further leveraging on the high vertical resolution of ERA-5, we show the large benefit of future increases in hub-heights from 100 m to 250 m for global offshore wind resources. Such technological advance results in widespread gains (ranging between +5% and +50%) throughout the global EEZs and no losses for all seasons. Moreover, the gains are >+10% for all regions with large wind energy potential at 100 m and >+40% over the Arctic Pacific sector and in regions characterized by the presence of coastal low-level jets.