Avangrid Renewables is pleased to announce the deployment of cutting-edge offshore wind assessment technology in the Kitty Hawk Wind Energy Area, which has been designated by the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) for the development of an offshore wind project. The Floating Light Detection and Ranging (FLiDAR) instrumentation buoy uses advanced technology to collect real-time meteorological and ocean data to inform the development of the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project in a manner that maximizes compatibility with the ocean environment.

“We are committed to a comprehensive, data-informed approach to harnessing an abundant, low-carbon domestic energy resource in a way that is compatible with the ocean environment,” said Megan Higgins, Avangrid Renewables’ Senior Director, Offshore Business Development. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has advanced the wind industry globally by informing turbine location based on considerations for the unique environmental needs of each site to make projects more efficient. “Deployment of this technology to the Wind Energy Area is an exciting milestone for a project that will help ignite the nascent offshore wind industry off the coasts of North Carolina and Virginia,” said Higgins.

The FLiDAR WindSentinel buoy is an industry-proven technology developed by AXYS Technologies, Inc., that integrates a LiDAR on a moored buoy to provide data on wind speed, wind direction, and turbulence at the turbine hub-height and across the blade span. This buoy is also equipped with a range of other sensors to measure surface wind speed and direction, relative humidity, directional waves, ocean currents, tide, salinity, water temperature, atmospheric pressure and air temperature. These measures provide a comprehensive data set of environmental conditions useful for wind resource assessment and wind potential monitoring over time. 

The buoy will be deployed for one-year with the possibility of an extended time in a second location within the wind energy area. The data collected by the buoy will facilitate the design and development of the Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind project. When complete, Kitty Hawk Offshore Wind is projected to have a capacity of up to 2,500 megawatts, or enough to power approximately 700,000 homes.

KeyFacts Energy: Avangrid Renewables US country profile