About Task 55
International Energy Agency (IEA) Wind Task 55 REFWIND coordinates international efforts to rigorously define reference wind turbines and plants. The reference systems address land-based applications as well as fixed-bottom and floating offshore installations.
The reference systems are designed collaboratively from organizations across the world and are fully open source. The designs are suitable for studies on new technologies to maximize the value of wind energy as well as research into the social and environmental impact of wind energy.
Task 55 builds upon the successful efforts conducted within the now-concluded IEA Wind Task 37 on Wind Energy Systems Engineering: Integrated Research, Design, Development and Operation.
Task 55 also continues the series of successful workshops around systems engineering for wind energy, promoting studies around multi-fidelity, risk-aware, and multi-disciplinary approaches to solve design problems for existing and future wind energy systems.
Task 55 collaborates closely with existing IEA Wind Tasks, such as Task 43 on Wind Digitalization, Task 47 on Aerodynamics, Task 49 on Floating Wind Arrays, and Task 50 on Hybrid Power Plants.
GitHub Organization and Reference Designs
The work produced within IEA Wind Task 55 REFWIND is hosted in the GitHub organization https://github.com/IEAWindSystems.
This organization contains several repositories:
- The 22-MW offshore reference wind turbine
- The 740-MW offshore reference wind plant
- WindIO, a common definition framework for wind turbines and plants
- The 3.4-, 10-, and 15-MW reference wind turbines designed within IEA Wind Task 37
All repositories are fully open-source and are released under the permissive Apache Version 2.0 License.
Workshops
WORKSHOPS
IEA Wind Task 55 REFWIND organizes the Wind Energy Systems Engineering (WESE) Workshops.
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) hosted the sixth WESE Workshop from Aug. 30 to Sept. 1, 2022, at the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute Center in Boulder, Colorado. Sessions included keynotes from Colorado wind and aerospace innovators, updates on tool advancements, and tours of a startup, a manufacturing facility, and NREL’s Flatirons Campus.
The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) hosted the seventh WESE Workshop on Dec. 3–4, 2024, followed on Dec. 5 by optional tours and code tutorials. The workshop took place at Risø Campus, located near the town of Roskilde. Researchers from NREL co-hosted and attended the in-person event, which welcomed 75 participants from around the world.
The eighth Systems Engineering Workshop is scheduled for 2026 and will likely be hosted in the United States. More details will follow.
EVENTS
We meet in person annually for a full day of updates and planning.
Additionally, we are working to organize a series of quarterly virtual meetings to foster international collaboration.
Timeline and Ongoing Work
TIMELINE
- October 2023: Task 55 REFWIND started
- March 2024: Release of 22-MW reference wind turbine
- April 2024: Release of 740-MW reference wind plant
- Now: ongoing work! (see below)
- September 2027: Task 55 REFWIND will end after 4 years
ONGOING ACTIVITIES
- A team from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is working on a new release of WindIO, the common definition framework for wind turbines and plants. This release, tagged version 2.0, will incorporate input from multiple organizations across academia, national laboratories, and industry. To stay engaged, keep an eye on open (and closed) issues.
- A second initiative is led by researchers from the Technical University of Munich (TUM), DTU, and NREL to define a new offshore reference wind plant. The plant will have a total capacity of 2,200 MW and will consist of 100 22-MW wind turbines. A preliminary design of the plant was presented at the 2024 Wind Energy Systems Engineering workshop. The final design will be discussed at the 2025 Wind Energy Science Conference and will be documented in two forthcoming publications.
- Future activities aim to design one or more land-based reference wind turbines.
Find Us Online!
Publications
A list of publications relevant to IEA Wind Task 55 REFWIND is available here.
Participation
WHO PARTICIPATES IN TASK 55 REFWIND?
Seven countries officially participate: the UK, the Netherlands, the USA, Denmark, Germany, South Korea, and France. More countries have expressed interest and may join soon.
If you are affiliated with an organization in any of these seven countries, you can automatically join one or more of the work packages and make an impact!
WHY JOIN?
Active participants benefit from meetings and professional exchanges throughout the task’s duration. They also gain behind-the-scenes access to the design process of reference wind turbines and plants. These designs have been used thousands of times worldwide, and the publications documenting them have received hundreds of citations.
Join our community, make an impact, and get the recognition you deserve for your contributions!
WHAT IF MY COUNTRY IS NOT ON THE LIST?
If your country is not on the list but participates in IEA Wind TCP, you can help your country join Task 55 REFWIND. To join, an IEA Wind TCP member country must designate a lead institution that agrees to the obligations of participation—this includes paying the annual fee and performing specified parts of the work plan. Each country operates according to its own set of rules, but a good starting point is to contact your country’s IEA Wind representative.
You can find the right contact name and email address on the IEA Wind website https://iea-wind.org/ by clicking on About -> Membership in the top right corner. Additionally, feel free to email the Operating Agent Pietro Bortolotti and/or the Task manager Frederik Zahle for assistance.
WHAT IF MY COUNTRY DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN IEA WIND AT ALL?
That is a bigger challenge, but you are not alone. IEA Wind always welcomes new countries. To start, email the IEA Wind Secretariat at NREL.IEA.Wind.Secretariat@nrel.gov, and you will receive guidance on the next steps.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
15013 Denver West Parkway
Golden, CO 80401
USA
O: +1.303.384.6989
Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
Frederiksborgvej 399, 4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Operating Agent Pietro Bortolotti
Pietro Bortolotti
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
15013 Denver West Parkway
Golden, CO 80401
USA
M: +1.303.384.6989
pietro.bortolotti@nrel.gov
www.nrel.gov
Task Manager
Frederik Zahle
DTU Risø Campus
Frederiksborgvej 399
4000 Roskilde
Denmark
frza@dtu.dk
www.wind.dtu.dk
DTU Wind and Energy Systems
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
15013 Denver West Parkway
Golden, CO 80401
NREL
Monday to Friday
9 am – 5 pm U.S. Mountain Time