The Long View: Grand Challenges
Progress in wind energy depends on a foundation of fundamental understanding of the physical, social and environmental requirements of a successful system. To fulfil the long-term vision that wind energy will supply about half the primary energy for the clean, carbon-free energy system of the future, these foundations need to be expanded and linked through an interdisciplinary understanding of the system. This plenary will build off the IEA Wind Topical Experts Meeting (TEM) held earlier this year in Boulder on the Grand Challenges in the Science of Wind Energy. The panelists, whose full bios are below, represent each of the topics included in the TEM and include:ÌýÌý
- Moderator:ÌýKatherine Dykes,ÌýHead of Center, System Engineering and Optimization, Department of Wind and Energy Systems, Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Denmark
- Keynote:ÌýCarlo Bottasso,ÌýChair of Wind Energy, Founding Institute Director, Wind Energy Institute, Technical University of Munich, Germany
- Atmosphere: Julie Lundquist,ÌýProfessor, Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder, USA
- Turbine: Paul Veers,ÌýSenior Research Fellow, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), USA
- Grid and Plant: Chris Bay,ÌýResearcher, NREL, USA
- Environment: Bethany Straw,ÌýBiologist at the U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center, USA
- Social Issues: Suzanne Tegen,ÌýAssistant Director of the Center for the New Energy Economy (CNEE), USA.
ÌýKatherine Dykes,ÌýHead of Center, System Engineering and Optimization, Department of Wind and Energy Systems, DTU, Denmark: Katherine Dykes is a Senior Researcher in the DTU Wind and Energy Systems department. Katherine’s research over the last decade has involved applying systems engineering to optimization of wind turbine and plant design and operation. She holds a Ph.D. from MIT in engineering systems and a dual master of science degree from The Ohio State University in electrical engineering and applied economics.
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ÌýCarlo Luigi Bottasso,ÌýChair of Wind Energy, Founding Institute Director, Wind Energy Institute, Technical University of Munich, Germany: Professor Bottasso received a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Politecnico di Milano in Italy, raising to the rank of full professor of flight mechanics before moving to TUM in 2013. He was associate professor of aerospace engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), and he held visiting positions in the USA (including at NREL, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, NASA Langley, Georgia Tech) and Denmark. Professor Bottasso has been the president and vice president of the European Academy of Wind Energy, and is the editor in chief of theÌýWind Energy ScienceÌýjournal. In 2023, he was honored with the European Academy of Wind Energy Scientific Award forÌý"his outstanding contributions and pioneering role in the research on modeling and simulation, aero-servo-elasticity, control and design of wind turbine technologies."
ÌýJulie K. Lundquist,ÌýProfessor, Dept. of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, and Fellow, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute, University of Colorado Boulder; Joint Appointee Scientist, NREL, USA: ProfessorÌýLundquist leads an interdisciplinary research group in the DepartmentÌýof Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado, with a joint appointment at NREL. Her research group uses observational and computational approaches to understand the atmospheric boundary layer, with emphasis on atmospheric influences on turbine productivity, turbine wake dynamics, and downwind impacts of wind energy.ÌýShe has authored or coauthored over 130 refereed publications and over 200 conference presentations.
ÌýPaul Veers, Senior Research Fellow, NREL, USA: Paul Veers has been involved in wind energy research for over 40 years and is currently Chief Engineer at NREL’s National Wind Technology Center. For twelve years he was the Chief Editor for international journalÌýWind Energy. He received the European Academy of Wind Energy’s Scientific Award 2016 for his leadership in wind energy, and the NREL Chairman’s Award for sustained research excellence in 2018. Paul edited a two-volume book,ÌýWind Energy Modeling and Simulation, published in 2019, covering all aspects of wind plant design. He is a Fellow of Society of Mechanical Engineers and a helped establish the North American Wind Energy Academy, for which he is the Executive Director.
ÌýChris Bay, Researcher, NREL, USA: Chris has expertise in the design of control and optimization algorithms, with specific applications to wind plants, hybrid energy systems, and the grid. Chris is also a core developer of FLORIS, the steady-state flow modeling as well as HOPP, a hybrid plant optimization and design tool, both developed by NREL. Since joining NREL, he has researched topics such as distributed optimal control for wind plants, wind turbine layout optimization, and model predictive control of energy systems. He is currently focused on wind plant control, hybrid system optimization, and decarbonization with renewable energy.
ÌýBethany Straw,ÌýBiologist, the U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center, USA: Bethany Straw isÌýa biologist at the U.S. Geological Survey Fort Collins Science Center where she serves as the Assistant Coordinator of the North American Bat Monitoring Program, providing leadership and directing program operations across international boundaries. Bethany's research interests seek to fill critical knowledge gaps about bat populations and their complex relationship with wind energy.
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ÌýSuzanne Tegen, Assistant Director of CNEE, Colorado State University, USA: Suzanne Tegen is the assistant director of CNEE with expertise in energy economics and policy, and a Ph.D. in energy policy from the University of Colorado. She works on clean energy policy education, siting, and solutions for decision makers, as well as research on the equitable transition from coal power in rural America and siting renewable energy. Suzanne came to CNEE from NREL, where she spent 14 years as an energy analyst, researcher, and manager for wind and water power. She received the Ministerial’s C3E Mid-Career award in 2016 and leads the International Energy Agency’s wind energy social science task. Tegen worked for the U.S. Antarctic Program at the South Pole and McMurdo stations and for the Center for Resource Solutions in San Francisco. She is a founding member of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy.
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Learn more about other plenary sessions and the full conference program.
