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
   

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2. Credits/disclaimer
   • funded by Bureau of Ocean Energy
   Management (BOEM)
   • on-going study
   • not meant to represent BOEM policy
   

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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
   

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4. Cape Wind
   www.capewind.org
   www.capewind.org
   Offshore windfarms coming to
   the U.S.
   

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5. Offshore windfarms coming to
   the U.S.
   Cape Wind
   www.capewind.org
   www.capewind.org
   

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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
   

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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
   

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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
   

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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
    

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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
    

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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
    

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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
    

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23. System design
    SHP
    ArcGIS 10.0
    script tools
    JPG
    Reports
    Renders
    Input data
    ArcGIS 10.0
    friendly interface
    Videos
    HMTL
    

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24. System design
    SHP
    ArcGIS 10.0
    script tools
    JPG
    Reports
    Renders
    Input data
    ArcGIS 10.0
    friendly interface
    Videos
    HMTL
    

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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
    

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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
    

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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
    

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28. Data translations
    

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33. Kitty Hawk, NC
    1/9 arc-second NED
    vertical accuracy +/- 1 meter
    

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35. Oregon coast
    1/9 arc-second NED
    vertical accuracy +/- 1 meter
    

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37. Key observation points
    A.K.A., the camera
    

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42. WTG placement
    

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45. Current results
    Real-world GIS data brought into Vue
    Photorealistic renderings
    User-friendly interface
    

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46. Current results
    Real-world GIS data brought into Vue
    Photorealistic renderings
    User-friendly interface
    

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47. Current results
    Real-world GIS data brought into Vue
    Photorealistic renderings
    User-friendly interface
    - still working on that...
    

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48. Renders
    

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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
    

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53. Still to do
    • User interface to
    Vue
    – Toolbox designs and
    linkage to Python
    scripts
    • ArcToolbox tools
    • wxPython
    • Report generation
    – Python
    • Help/documentation
    

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55. Questions?
    chad@cast.uark.edu
    http://cast.uark.edu
    

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