Transdisciplinary end-of-life analysis of wind turbines for the development of technically and economically optimal end-of-funding strategies

Wind energy is an important pillar for achieving the energy transition in Germany. Electricity generation costs are still high in relation to market compensation, so that there is a need for development. Hence, the end-of-life topic of wind turbines - i.e. the analysis and design of the period after the end of the funding by the “Erneuerbare Energien Gesetzes” (EEG) or after the design lifetime has been exceeded – is currently of particular interest. To develop technically and economically sustainable strategies for post-EEG wind turbines, a joint and at least partly coupled consideration of different aspects of structural dynamics, logistics, spatial planning, and economics is indispensable. For example, it only makes sense to analyse the economic feasibility of continued operation by retrofitting if this is also technically possible. Therefore, within TransWind project, a probabilistic, structural-dynamic model of a wind turbine will be combined with site-specific wind simulations, spatial planning tools and economic analyses in an integrated modelling approach. To enable the automated application of this transdisciplinary approach, the modelling approach will be implemented in a software solution, and thus, takes advantage of the increasing digitalisation of the energy industry.