Distributed Wind Research
NREL's distributed and small wind research aims to increase opportunities for Americans to use wind power generated onsite.
NREL's distributed wind research capabilities span the innovation pipeline, including design, modeling, simulation, resource characterization, analysis, and manufacturing. Companies can take full advantage of our facilities, research and development capabilities, and world-class experts to get the support they need.
Our work also supports the U.S. Department of Energy's efforts to reduce installed costs, increase the number of small wind turbines on the market through certification evaluation, and improve small-scale turbine and plant performance.
Areas of Expertise
- Advanced controls research
- Deployable wind systems for defense and disaster applications
- Infrastructure for microgrid and hybrid power research
- National and international standards development
- Performance assessment tools
- Stakeholder engagement and outreach
Current Projects
- Competitiveness Improvement Project
- Distributed Wind Energy Futures Study
- Distributed Wind Aeroelastic Modeling
- Tools Assessing Performance
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Recently Completed Projects
- Defense and Disaster Deployable Turbine Project
- Microgrids, Infrastructure Resilience, and Advanced Controls Launchpad (View the final report.)
Resources
Case Studies
More project examples can be found at the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Energy Technologies Office.
Contact
The lead for distributed wind energy research at NREL focuses on a variety of areas pertinent to the diverse distributed wind industry, including modeling and simulation, siting, resource characterization, and technology development.
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