UMass Amherst Hosts Inaugural Meeting of the North American Wind Energy Academy Aug. 7-9

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts Amherst will host the inaugural meeting of the North American Wind Energy Academy (NAWEA) Aug. 7-9 with a series of talks and workshops to be held in Engineering Lab 1 and Lab 2 on the north side of the campus.

 

NAWEA is an organization of universities, research laboratories and industry participants dedicated to coordinating wind energy research and education activities in order to advance the state of wind energy technology and to develop the next generation of wind energy engineers, researchers, scientists and innovators in North America.

 

On Tuesday, Aug. 7, there is a full-day workshop in Engineering Lab 2 on wind turbine modeling presented by Jason Jonkman from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

 

Wednesday, Aug. 8, features a discussion of  “The Atmospheric Science Challenges Related to Large-Scale Deployment of Weather-Dependent Renewable Energy,” from 9 a.m. to noon. The talks will discuss the meteorological issues relevant to wind and solar energy. These issues have implications for wind forecasting, resource assessment, and siting, among other things.

 

Also on Aug. 8, from 1-5 p.m., the NAWEA kick-off session, titled “Challenges of Large Scale Deployment of Wind Power,” features presentations by James Manwell, UMass Amherst professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Wind Energy Center, and Robert Thresher, NREL research fellow at the National Wind Technology Center, who will talk on “The Need for an Academy of Wind Energy in North America.”

 

Jose Zayas, manager of transmission policy at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), will discuss the U.S. Department of Energy’s vision for wind energy and the role of research and development and education in fostering a strong wind industry. Roger Schonewald, of General Electric Energy, will talk on the industry perspective on the future of wind energy in the North America. Walt Musial, NREL’s offshore wind and water-power manager at the National Wind Technology Center, will give a presentation on “Offshore Wind Power and the Challenges of Large Scale Deployment.”

 

Mark O’Malley, professor of electrical engineering at University College Dublin, will talk on “Grid Integration Challenges and Solutions,” while Michael Goggin, manager of transmission policy for the AWEA, will discuss “Policy, Integration, and Transmission Solutions for the Large-Scale Deployment of Wind Power.”

 

Thursday, Aug. 9, concludes with parallel morning sessions from 9 a.m. to noon on graduate student presentation and networking and a meeting of university members to discuss curriculum coordination in wind energy, moderated by Ian Baring-Gould, wind and water technology deployment manager at the National Wind Technology Center and Deployment & Industrial Partnerships.