VIESORE: Visual impact evaluation system for offshore renewable energy

Presented at the Mid-America GIS Consortium 2012 Conference in Kansas City, MO

In the fall of 2010, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management entered into an interagency agreement with the US Department of Energyís Argonne National Laboratories to sponsor the development of a geographic information system-based tool for creating spatially accurate and realistic visualizations of offshore wind facilities. The development of the Visual Impact Evaluation System of Offshore Renewable Energy (VIESORE) tool is a collaborative research effort between the Bureau, Argonne National Laboratories and the University of Arkansas. VIESORE is a ArcGIS 10.0 desktop-based application that allows a user to design the spatial layout of a facility; import, prepare, and process accurate GIS data for the study area; run a series of visual analyses; define atmospheric, lighting, and wave conditions; and then generate, through the 3D visualization software package Vue 10.5 Infinite, realistic visualizations of the proposed facility as it would be seen from any number of viewpoints defined by the user. Through VISEORE, BOEM staff will be able to verify the accuracy of visual impact simulations of offshore renewable energy facilities prepared by other parties; prepare simulations for use in public involvement activities; and rapidly develop simulations for in-house use to evaluate visual characteristics of hypothetical or proposed offshore renewable energy facilities.

Transcript

1. VIESORE Visual Impact Evaluation System for Offshore Renewable Energy Chad Cooper, Snow Winters, Malcolm Williamson, Jackson Cothren Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies University of Arkansas, Fayetteville Robert Sullivan Argonne National Laboratory Argonne, Illinois
2. Credits/disclaimer • funded by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) • on-going study • not meant to represent BOEM policy
3. Offshore wind 101 • First offshore wind farm – Denmark 1991 • 2010 – 39 offshore farms off coasts of UK, Europe, and Scandinavia • Largest turbines now over 500 feet tall • Power carried to land via transmission cable • Wind energy contractors submit site proposals to governing bodies – Contractors provide photomontages
4. Cape Wind www.capewind.org www.capewind.org Offshore windfarms coming to the U.S.
5. Offshore windfarms coming to the U.S. Cape Wind www.capewind.org www.capewind.org
6. ...and in come the proposals Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) reviews all project proposals within federal waters • offshore oil and gas exploration • offshore wind • wave • tidal flow • ocean current • environmental laws and regulations
7. Offshore wind 101 – Cape Wind • Siemens SWT 3.6-107 – rotor diameter – 107m (351ft) – total turbine height – 132m (433ft) • 130 turbines arranged in a grid • 12.5 miles of transmission cable • partial generation planned for 2015
9. BOEM system requirements The system must: • enable spatial design of offshore facility • import geospatial data • allow user control of atmospheric, lighting, wave conditions • generate spatially accurate and realistic visualizations • output reports and images • provide a user-friendly interface It shall enable users to: • evaluate photomontages in environmental impact statements (EISs) • independently assess proposed facilities
10. Approach Photomontages Pros: • realistic • accepted • accurate* *dependent upon lens used Cons: • need photos from every potential point of interest – oops, we didn’t take a photo from there! • difficult to show different lighting/weather conditions • human error www.capewind.org
11. Approach Photomontages Pros: • realistic • accepted • accurate* *dependent upon lens used Cons: • need photos from every potential point of interest – oops, we didn’t take a photo from there! • difficult to show different lighting/weather conditions • human error www.capewind.org
12. Approach 3D visualizations Pros: • CAST does 3D • photorealistic • Vue Python API Cons: • learning curve • you need horsepower • user interface is scary – no likey GIS data
18. Approach 3D visualizations via GIS interface Pros: • CAST does 3D • photorealistic • Vue Python API Cons: • user interface is scary • learning curve • you need horsepower, but affordable
23. System design SHP ArcGIS 10.0 script tools JPG Reports Renders Input data ArcGIS 10.0 friendly interface Videos HMTL
24. System design SHP ArcGIS 10.0 script tools JPG Reports Renders Input data ArcGIS 10.0 friendly interface Videos HMTL
25. System design SHP ArcGIS 10.0 script tools JPG Reports Renders Videos Input data ArcGIS 10.0 friendly interface xml Log Log Log .vue xml template HMTL .atm .mat project
26. Development to date • translate data for import into Vue – digital elevation – wind turbine generator (WTG) point locations – key observation points (KOPs) • import above data into Vue • move objects around as needed, adjust size • import 3D WTG model • set camera and sun position • render to jpeg
27. Development to date • translate data for import into Vue – digital elevation – wind turbine (WTG) point locations – key observation points (KOPs) • import above data into Vue • move objects around as needed, adjust size • import 3D WTG model • set camera and sun position • render to jpeg
28. Data translations
33. Kitty Hawk, NC 1/9 arc-second NED vertical accuracy +/- 1 meter
35. Oregon coast 1/9 arc-second NED vertical accuracy +/- 1 meter
37. Key observation points A.K.A., the camera
42. WTG placement
45. Current results Real-world GIS data brought into Vue Photorealistic renderings User-friendly interface
46. Current results Real-world GIS data brought into Vue Photorealistic renderings User-friendly interface
47. Current results Real-world GIS data brought into Vue Photorealistic renderings User-friendly interface - still working on that...
48. Renders
52. Issues tackled • Vue data formats • Data translations galore • Using real-world data in software that wasn’t really made for it • Coarse-grained Vue Python API makes you come up with creative workarounds
53. Still to do • User interface to Vue – Toolbox designs and linkage to Python scripts • ArcToolbox tools • wxPython • Report generation – Python • Help/documentation
55. Questions? chad@cast.uark.edu http://cast.uark.edu