Understanding Onshore vs Offshore Wind
renewable energy
renewable energy
Both onshore and offshore wind will see explosive growth in the coming decade. Learn more about the pros and cons of onshore and offshore wind power, including how each works, their usage in the global energy marketplace, and why both will play an important role in the global energy transition.
According to Statista, global wind power capacity reached 743 GW in 2020, up from 650 GW in 2019 despite delays on projects due to COVID-19. The exponential rise of wind power installations demonstrates its growing popularity around the world.
Driven by advances in technology and global policies fighting climate change, wind power is becoming more financially sustainable. China and the USA remain the world’s largest wind power markets, with countries in the UK and Europe, North America, and India also driving the trend at a rapid pace.
For an overview of the global wind power market, take a look at this video from the Global Wind Energy Council:
Wind turbines work when air turns the carbon-fiber blades attached to the units. The blades are connected to a motor, which turns kinetic energy into electricity. The energy is transferred to a gearbox, which converts the slow spinning of the blades into a high-speed rotary motion. This then turns a drive shaft quickly enough to power an electric generator.
Traditionally, onshore wind turbines dominated the market, however, in recent years, advances in technology have led to the development of offshore wind farms.
For more information on the history of wind power, take a look at our post on how wind turbines have evolved.
Onshore wind power refers to turbines located on land rather than over water. They are typically located in sparsely-populated areas with low conservation value. According to the International Energy Association, onshore wind electricity generation increased by 12% in 2019. Capacity additions also grew by 22% after stagnating for a couple of years.
Take a look at this video on how onshore wind farms work:
Besides the obvious advantages of sustainability, what else is advantageous about onshore wind?
The infrastructure required for onshore wind power is significantly less expensive than what’s required for offshore wind. In some cases, it’s half the cost and can provide investment payback as quickly as two years. It’s also the least expensive form of renewable energy compared to solar and nuclear power sources, which means it’s more affordable to consumers. Because they’re cost-effective, onshore wind farms tend to be larger, producing more energy per site.
With less distance between the turbines and the consumer, there’s less voltage drop-off in the cabling
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Onshore wind turbines are quick to install and can be constructed within a few months, unlike other energy sources like nuclear power stations, which can take over two decades to build. When in operation, onshore wind turbines also have low maintenance costs.
Onshore wind farms have less physical impact on their surrounding areas. Toxins aren’t released, the site can be farmed around, and there’s very little impact to wildlife.
The speed of onshore wind turbines is somewhat unpredictable. Because wind speed and direction vary on land, achieving consistent power generation can be challenging. As a result, wind speed and direction need to be carefully monitored to plan for energy generation.
Physical blockages from buildings and surrounding landscape like hills or mountains can also cause production inconsistencies. For this reason, onshore wind can’t produce energy year-round and can only achieve around 2.5 MW, compared to offshore wind’s approximate 3.6 MW.
Because onshore turbines don’t run year-round, they require fossil-fuel backups when the wind speed is slow. As we come to rely more heavily on wind farms for our energy, increasing amounts of fossil fuels will also be required.
Onshore wind farms can be an eyesore on the landscape. Wind turbines that are built on high ground to generate more power can be imposing on surrounding residential areas. Wind turbines also aren’t silent, meaning they cause noise pollution if located near a residential area. To illustrate, up close, a wind turbine sounds like a lawnmower.
Overall, the advantages of onshore wind and the sustainable energy it can create outweighs the potential disadvantages.
Offshore wind power refers to wind farms that are located over shallow open water, usually in the ocean, where there are higher wind speeds.The term ‘offshore wind’ can also refer to inshore water areas like lakes and fjords. Most offshore wind farms use fixed-foundation wind turbines in shallow water. However, as technology advances, wind farms will be able to be built over deeper waters. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, offshore wind will surge to over 234 GW by 2030, led by Asia-Pacific.
Check out this video for an overview of how offshore wind power works:
Offshore wind speeds are typically faster than on land, and even small increases in speed can produce large increases in energy generation. As such, fewer turbines are needed to produce the same amount of energy as an onshore turbine.
Wind speeds offshore don’t vary as much and the wind direction doesn’t change as often, so offshore turbines are more consistent (meaning more reliable power generation).
Offshore turbines don’t have as much visual impact as those on land. They don’t interfere with land usage, and there are no physical obstacles that can interrupt the wind flow. For this reason, offshore wind farms can be made larger and generate more energy than those onshore, with less physical impact.
Offshore turbines can also be built taller than those onshore, which means they can harness more wind energy and produce more electricity.
Creating the infrastructure for offshore wind farms can be expensive and complex, especially over deeper waters.
Sea waves and very high winds can damage turbines, so they need more maintenance than their onshore counterparts. Offshore wind farms are also difficult to access, which means longer wait times for repairs.
The underwater noises from turbines can impact fauna and other marine life. Further, not all offshore wind farms are built out of public view. Some are built within 26 miles of the coastline, so can still be an eyesore for local residents.
Unlike onshore wind farms, those offshore have a limited capacity to benefit local economies. As the manufacturers’ offices are situated inland and often far away from the offshore site, jobs aren’t created in the local community and other investments aren’t made.
Location: Delft
Branche: Energy Power Plants
Expertise: Project Management & Services
Experience: 1 years
Voorbereiden beoordelen en plannen van werkaanvragen en offertes. Mede opstellen, begeleiden en beoordelen van de uitvoering van contracten door derden. Opstellen van planningen met waar nodig kritische paden, doorlooptijden en organische aspecten en opstellen van gedetailleerde werkplannen. Maken van voorcalculaties, ondersteuning leveren bij het opstellen van begrotingen, toetsen van aanbiedingen van aannemers en bewaken voortgang.Bepalen, reserveren en bestellen van benodigde materialen en diensten.Technische administratie en documentenbeheer. Bewaking werkvoorraden door middel van leveren van de benodigde kengetallen.Met betrekking tot voortgang van de werkzaamheden doen van voorstellen voor tijdige bijsturing of wijziging in de planning. Aansturing van projectmedewerkers.
Location: Delft
Branche: Energy Power Plants
Expertise: Engineering & Design
Experience: 1 years
Als Werkvoorbereider Elektrotechniek leg je bij deze opdrachtgever de focus op utiliteitsbouw. De klanten van het bedrijf zijn op dit gebied niet de minsten! Zo zul je jouw tanden zetten in de nieuwbouw, vervanging of uitbreiding van energie-installaties in kantoorgebouwen, luchthavens, scholen, fabrieken en ziekenhuizen. Jouw hoofdtaak is ervoor zorgen dat het proces van kop tot staart vlekkeloos verloopt. Zowel qua ontwerp als qua budget als qua bestellingen en (personeels)planning. Verder gebruik je jouw technische kennis om mee te denken over vraagstukken over de materiaalkeuze en de implementatie van de systemen. Uiteraard komt er bij jouw taak veel rekenwerk en verstand van coderingen kijken. Maar ook jouw sociale skills laat jij niet onbenut. Want doordat je vanaf de ontwerpschets tot en met de inbedrijfstelling betrokken bent bij een project, zul je veel overleggen met zowel interne als externe betrokken partijen.
Location: Delft
Branche: Energy Power Plants
Expertise: Project Management & Services
Experience: 1 years
Voorbereiden beoordelen en plannen van werkaanvragen en offertes. Mede opstellen, begeleiden en beoordelen van de uitvoering van contracten door derden. Opstellen van planningen met waar nodig kritische paden, doorlooptijden en organische aspecten en opstellen van gedetailleerde werkplannen. Maken van voorcalculaties, ondersteuning leveren bij het opstellen van begrotingen, toetsen van aanbiedingen van aannemers en bewaken voortgang.Bepalen, reserveren en bestellen van benodigde materialen en diensten.Technische administratie en documentenbeheer. Bewaking werkvoorraden door middel van leveren van de benodigde kengetallen.Met betrekking tot voortgang van de werkzaamheden doen van voorstellen voor tijdige bijsturing of wijziging in de planning. Aansturing van projectmedewerkers.
Location: Eindhoven
Branche: Energy Power Plants
Expertise: Engineering & Design
Experience: 3 years
Develop electrical distribution systems and coordinate interfaces with our customers. Check and validate technical designs. Investigate and advise on layouts, components, cabling selection, termination kits, earthing & grounding, etc. Write assembly and commissioning plans. Attend and support Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) and Factory Witness Testing (FWT) on-site and in the factories. Plan and oversee the progress of factory operations, resolving technical issues. Place orders and estimate the commercial impact of additional work performed. Collaborate with an experienced lead engineer to deliver exceptional results.
Location: Graz
Branche: Energy Power Plants
Expertise: Research & Development
Experience: 2 years
Als Projektleiter:in Anlagenbau Energietechnik planen und leiten Sie Investitions-, Reparatur- und Infrastrukturprojekten. Dies umfasst die Budgetplanung, das Forecasting und Multiprojektcontrolling. Sie führen Machbarkeitsstudien im Produktionsumfeld durch und evaluieren Automatisierungspotentiale. Die Ausarbeitung von Wartungs- und Ersatzteilkonzepten bei komplexen Anlagen in Zusammenarbeit mit der Instandhaltung ist ebenso Teil Ihres Aufgabengebiets. Ein weiterer Focus liegt auf der Automatisierung und Standardisierung der Produktionsabläufe in den Werken des gesamten Clusters.
Location: Zwijndrecht
Branche: Energy Power Plants
Expertise: Health, Safety, Environmental & Quality
Experience: 3 years
Voor een toonaangevend bedrijf dat actief is in de hoogspanningssector en onderdeel is van een internationale multinational, streven wij naar uitmuntendheid op het gebied van energie-infrastructuren. Met als doel betrouwbare en innovatieve oplossingen te bieden voor de uitdagingen van de energietransitie, zoeken wij ter versterking van ons team een gedreven Preventieadviseur Niveau 2. In deze sleutelpositie draag je bij aan de uitbouw en standaardisering van onze veiligheidsprocedures en help je mee aan het bevorderen van een sterke veiligheidscultuur binnen het bedrijf. VerantwoordelijkhedenAls Preventieadviseur Niveau 2 ben je verantwoordelijk voor een breed scala aan veiligheidsgerelateerde taken, waaronder:Standardisering van Veiligheidsprocedures: Ontwikkelen en documenteren van uniforme veiligheidsprotocollen en -procedures.Toolbox Meetings: Organiseren en faciliteren van toolbox meetings om het veiligheidsbewustzijn onder de medewerkers te verhogen.Presentaties en Rapportage: Voorbereiden en presenteren van veiligheidsanalyses en -rapporten aan het management, met een focus op change management in veiligheid.Site Bezoeken: Regelmatig bezoeken van werklocaties om veiligheidscontroles uit te voeren en directe interactie met alle medewerkers op de site te hebben.Advies en Ondersteuning: Fungeren als aanspreekpunt voor veiligheidsvraagstukken en adviseren over preventieve maatregelen.
Location: DOEL
Branche: Energy Power Plants
Expertise: Cost Control & Procurement
Experience: 1 years
Als QA manager is het belangrijk dat je de technisch voorbereiden, behandelen en opvolgen van aankoopdossiers voor componenten en wisselstukken, vanaf de vraag van de klant tot de ontvangst en vrijgave in het magazijn bij levering op zich neemt. Hierbij wordt er nauw samengewerkt met de aankoopdienst en wordt de onlinebehandeling van QA-bestellingen volgens afgesproken modaliteiten binnen de dienst Component Supply Management verzorgd. Gelukkig kunnen we ook op jou rekenen bij het:Interface verzorgen met de aankoopdienst voor het plaatsen van bestellingen bij leveranciersOpvolgen van QA-besteldossiers inclusief voortgang, respons van leveranciers, …Analyseren van technische documentatie zoals datasheets, constructiedossiers, enz. voor bestelaanvragenScreenen van offertes en kwaliteitsplannen, en contact leggen met leveranciers om eventuele onduidelijkheden te besprekenAansturen van herstellingen bij leveranciers, controleren van leveringen op conformiteit, en vrijgave van materiaal
Location: Den Haag
Branche: Energy Power Plants
Expertise: Engineering & Design
Experience: 3 years
Develop comprehensive electrical or mechanical designs for E-houses. Investigate and advise on subjects such as mechanical or electrical interfacing, layouts, choice of components, fire safety, HVAC, electrical systems, cabling, and containment. Interface with colleagues on low voltage, medium voltage, and busbar systems. Review basic and detailed designs and project-related documentation. Proactively communicate with customers and suppliers on project-related aspects. Organize and attend Factory Acceptance Tests (FAT). Prepare technical documentation packages. Provide in-office support for production and on-site delivery. Ensure proper project closing and handover. Initiate and execute process, product, and project improvements.
Location: Den Haag
Branche: Energy Power Plants
Expertise: Engineering & Design
Experience: 3 years
Complete the commissioning process in accordance with agreed performance indicators, ensuring safety, adherence to schedule, quality standards, and budget. Monitor commissioning results against technical requirements. Ensure the commissioning team follows defined guidelines, processes, and procedures. Act as the onsite technical representative, attending various commissioning meetings and decision-making milestones. Handle site administrative tasks related to commissioning (e.g., scheduling work, updating drawings, closing open items in commissioning systems). Ensure compliance with standards, regulations, laws, quality, and EHS guidelines.
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