University of California, Irvine

ENGRMAE 117

ABSTRACT Renewable energy sources are becoming more necessary, as fossil fuels are being depleted. Offshore wind energy technology is in its early stages, but in the future it will be able to provide larger amounts of clean energy. Unlike onshore wind farms, offshore wind energy systems have more potential for greater energy production due to higher winds and less space, visual, and noise restrictions that cause inefficiencies within systems. Despite greater installation and maintenance costs than other energy systems, offshore wind energy has the potential for greater energy production with very little environmental impacts. INTRODUCTION Offshore wind energy is becoming a more attractive energy source due to its potential for large amounts of electrical energy production with little environmental pollution compared to natural gas energy [4]. However offshore wind energy systems differ from onshore wind energy and must be approached uniquely to fit its specific offshore location. Offshore wind energy systems have large continuous areas available for wind parks and are not restricted like land area. Offshore winds are produced at higher speeds, which generally increase with distance from the shore allowing a higher energy production than onshore wind systems. Offshore wind energy eliminates visual impact and noise issues and regulations, allowing for more efficient and less expensive blades. Although there are more opportunities for wind energy offshore, there are many obstacles that come with offshore technologies, most of them concerning greater costs of offshore systems and limited access to facilities greatly based on unpredictable weather [1]. Offshore wind technology has greatly developed in many European countries. North American offshore conditions vary from European conditions, which is why North American offshore wind energy technology is still in the early stages of developing offshore wind parks [2]. REFERENCES [1] Bilgili, Mehmet, et al. “Offshore Wind Power Development in Europe and Its Comparison with Onshore Counterpart.” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 15, no. 2, 2011, pp. 905–915., doi:10.1016/j.rser.2010.11.006. [2] Breton, Simon-Philippe, and Geir Moe. “Status, Plans and Technologies for Offshore Wind Turbines in Europe and North America.” Renewable Energy, vol. 34, no. 3, 2009, pp. 646–654., doi:10.1016/j.renene.2008.05.040. [3] Musial, W., and B. Ram. “Large-Scale Offshore Wind Power in the United States: Assessment of Opportunities