GoWInD: Wind Energy Spatiotemporal Assessment and Characterization of End-of-Life Activities

Concerns on the lack sustainable end-of-life options for wind turbines have significantly increased in recent years. To ensure wind energy continuous growth, this research develops a novel spatiotemporal methodology that sustainably handles end-of-life activities for wind equipment. This research introduces the Global Wind Inventory for Future Decommissioning (GoWInD), which assesses and characterizes wind turbines according to individual spatiotemporal decommissioning and sustainability attributes. Applying data from GoWInD, the research developments networks of end-of-life (EoL) centers for wind turbines. The placement and operational levels of EoL centers optimize sustainable decommissioning according to changing spatiotemporal features of wind turbines. The methodology was evaluated for the United States, developing the United States Global Wind Inventory for Future Decommissioning (US—GoWInD), implementing the network of United States end-of-life (US—EoL) centers. Significant imbalances on the temporal and spatial distribution of US wind decommissioning inventory were revealed by the system. Diverse options to effectively handle these imbalances were highlighted by the methodology, including US—EoL center optimization according to placement, operational levels and potential complementarities. Particular attention was paid to components with challenging disposal options. The system can be implemented for diverse geographical locations and alternative spatial and temporal resolutions.