Offshore wind turbines are becoming ever larger, and the transportation, installation, disassembly and disposal of their gigantic rotor blades are presenting operators with new challenges. Now researchers have partnered with industry experts to develop highly durable thermoplastic foams and composites that make the blades lighter and recyclable. Thanks to their special properties, the new materials are also suitable for other lightweight structures, for instance in the automotive sector.

An interactive web tool to estimate the amount of energy that could be generated by wind or solar farms at any location has now been created by researchers.

As the US' first wind farm is installed in Rhode Island this week, a new study shows offshore wind may be even more powerful and turbulent than expected in the Northeast. The findings could have important implications for the future development of American offshore wind farms -- assessing how much wind power can be produced, what type of turbines to use, how many turbines should be installed and the spacing between them.