The impact of weather patterns on offshore wind power production

Abstract

Abstract Large-scale weather systems have the potential to modulate offshore wind energy production. The Northern European sea areas have recently seen a rapid increase in wind power capacity and thus there is a need to understand how different weather systems affect offshore production from the perspective of energy system integration. In this study, mean sea level pressure data from a new-generation reanalysis (ERA5) are utilised to classify synoptic systems into 30 different weather patterns using a self-organising map (SOM) approach. ERA5 wind speeds are then used in conjunction with a reference 8 MW wind turbine power curve to estimate wind power values at selected offshore sites. We assess how wind power output varies for different weather patterns, specifically, the impact on power production and power ramps.