Atmospher Sci & Global Chg
Newsmakers
November 2014
Will Shaw Quoted in Wired on Measuring Wind
Dr. William Shaw, atmospheric scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, was quoted in November's online Wired article, "Scientists Are Going to Shoot Lasers Into the Sky to Measure the Wind." The article describes the new ocean-going buoys that PNNL is operating for the U.S. Department of Energy to measure how much energy really is in the wind offshore. The measurements will also help engineers determine just how much wind force the turbines need to withstand. To get previously unavailable wind measurements, the team of scientists will measure offshore winds up to 200 meters above the ocean surface beginning in mid-November off the coast of Virginia. Using upward-facing lidar instruments attached to the buoys, they will learn more about how wind behaves offshore, which in turn will help turbine designers produce larger, more efficient turbines. The buoys will be periodically moved to provide new wind measurements at numerous locations along the coasts.
Read more about offshore power potential.
