DTU Wind and Energy Systems Department Presentation 2025 by DTUdk

DTU Wind and Energy Systems

“ Gearing up for the global energy transformation

The energy world is transforming rapidly, and a true energy system revolution is underway. At DTU Wind and Energy Systems, we are adapting to the transformation to set our mark on the green transition in the most effective and relevant way possible.

Our strategy builds on the department’s global legacy of contributions to the energy sector and its key role in supporting the shift towards a renewable energy system.

This year, the world reached 1TW installed wind power capacity. We are set to have ten times as much to reach the net zero targets by 2050. Solar and other renewables will grow the same. This requires a massive amount of research and innovation in new technologies. And that gear up.

Our vision “

A society fully powered by renewables with wind as its backbone.

Research is fundamental in achieving a decarbonised society by 2050. We believe that the development of technologies, the systems that integrate them, the rules that govern them, and the actions of people who inhabit society are all part of the solution.

Our mission

“

Lead by scientific excellence and impact-driven research that enables a sustainable, largescale deployment of wind energy and the development of an integrated and resilient energy system.

By focusing efforts and investments on projects with the highest impact potential, addressing bottlenecks towards a 100% renewable-based energy system, and supporting Danish and European leadership in wind power.

Four Strategic Challenges

Advancing the next generation of wind energy

Designing a resilient renewable-based energy system

Educating tomorrow’s technology leaders in renewable energy systems

Enabling a fast and fair, sustainable energy transition

Advancing the next generation of wind energy

As the field of wind energy evolves, so too do the opportunities for DTU Wind and Energy Systems to make a significant impact. The next generation of wind energy involves massive deployment with new requirements for sustainability, cost reduction, operational efficiency, and performance optimisation. We are committed to leading the advancement of this next generation of wind energy.

HIPERWIND

EU-funded project that has developed methodologies to achieve at least 9% reduction in the levelised cost of energy of offshore wind.

• Environmental conditions (Wind, waves, etc.)

• Cost- and performance optimization

• Future technologies: Scaling vs. consolidation

• Assets management optimization

• Large volume implementation and industrialization

• Supply chain optimization

• Risk management

• Design and operation of wind farms and wind farm clusters

The result is a better understanding of the uncertainties in the complex modelling chains used to optimise offshore wind turbine design and operations, leading to significant cost savings for wind farm owners and developers deploying large offshore wind farm projects in the future. A unique European research consortium involving both academia and industry, led by DTU Wind.

This EU excellence grant aims to remove barriers to AI application in the electricity grid. Traditionally, electricity came from large, stable power plants, but now it increasingly comes from renewable sources with outputs that vary due to weather and wind conditions. This volatility requires analysing many scenarios to ensure stable electricity supply. AI can perform these calculations 1000 times faster than traditional tools, enhancing the safety and efficiency of electric grid operations. Given that power systems are safety-critical, the developed AI applications must be trusted by users. Thus, this project further develops rigorous testing and verification tools to ensure the trustworthiness and reliability of AI tools before their deployment.

Data, AI and advanced computation

Designing a resilient renewable-based energy system

A society fully powered by wind and other renewables requires a fundamental redesign of the energy system as we know it. Security and resilience must be more thoroughly addressed in a system characterised by electrification, massive renewables, efficient markets, and innovative digital technologies. Therefore, we will lead society’s effort towards a future integrated, flexible, and resilient energy system based on renewables.

• Local flexibility solutions

• Cyber physical security

• Large-scale Power-to-X

• A converter-based power system

• Massive offshore energy systems and hybrids

• Data, AI and advanced computation

Enabling a fast and fair, sustainable energy transition

The energy transition relies on more than overcoming technological hurdles. To accelerate the shift to a society fully powered by wind and other renewables, we must achieve breakthroughs in public discourse, policy, market designs, and other socioeconomic enablers. We are committed to scientific excellence in these critical areas to enable a fair energy transition.

• Resource assessments and forecasting

• Data and AI-based systems optimisation

• Technology impact assessment

• Business models, investment and financing

• Societal engagement and people empowerment

• Sustainability analysis

• Policy design and market architecture

• Environmental impact

Digital Twins for Wind-Offshore (DTWO) aims to transform offshore wind energy optimisation. The project will develop a digital twin to forecast offshore wind power production. Aimed at ensuring greater energy reliability and security, the digital twin will integrate existing models, simulation assets and real-time data.

DTWO, being the first one, introduces a customisable platform that enables users not to disclose sensitive commercial data. It aims to be a pioneering initiative in the digitalisation of offshore wind energy by combining Federated Approach, Model Integration, Granular Prediction and HighLevel Cybersecurity.

Resource assessments and forecasting

DIGIWIND

By 2030, there will be a shortfall of about 500,000 people working in the European renewable energy sector. While racing ahead with the latest technology, research and investment, neither the workforce nor the digital skills have kept the same pace.

DigiWind educates professionals of today and tomorrow with the necessary digital skills to drive the green transition in the digital age. The project offers interdisciplinary education programmes in key capacity areas such as high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and other advanced digital skills.

Education in digital and digitalization skills

Educating tomorrow’s technology leaders in renewable energy systems

Technology leaders are catalysts for a society fully powered by wind and other renewables. As a globally leading university, we take responsibility for educating and preparing individuals to spearhead this change. We are committed to fostering tomorrow’s technology leaders who will research, innovate, inspire, and lead the way to a clean and resilient energy future.

• High quality teaching

• Attractive Bsc., Msc. and PhD programmes

• Education in digital and digitalization skills

• Lifelong learning, training and certification

• Research-integrated study environment

• Energy transition engineers for Denmark

Research

Our research spans the full spectrum of wind and energy systems. From investigating nanoscale structures to macro-scale atmospheric flow; from designing the turbines of tomorrow to the digital energy solutions of the future; from developing electric power systems to exploring more democratic processes for project planning.

Photo: A glass fibre polymer composite is tested under loads for reinforcement on blades in the Material Lab test facility. Anthony Fraisse and Yi Guo studying the specimen.

Scientific, peer-reviewed articles in WoS indexed journals

Scientific, peer-reviewed articles in other journals

Scientific, peer-reviewed contributions to conferences

Publications are the public documentation of our work, the quality of which is tested through scientific peer review and ensured by the global renewable energy community’s widespread use of our methods and results. This strengthens our strategic aspiration of being the go to global knowledge partner.

AQUADA-GO

The project develops a methodology for automated, noncontact, near real-time blade damage detection and risk evaluation in a single step using thermography and computer vision without disrupting the operation of wind turbines.

Innovation

At DTU Wind and Energy Systems, innovation takes place at the intersection of our research and the needs of the industry.

We have pioneered hard- and software solutions in areas such as:

• advanced remote sensing technologies

• new hybrid composite materials

• software suites for components, turbine design, and windfarm siting

• tool for real-time power system stability management

• tool for real-time data management and data-driven innovation

Image: Thermographic blade damage detection, demonstrated by Xiao Chen and Steen Hjelm Madsen in the Large Scale Facility

Nurturing future talents for the green transition is of vital importance to us; we want to pass on our knowledge to the next generation of wind energy and energy systems engineers.

We offer a BSc in Sustainable Energy Design, an MSc in Wind Energy, the European Wind Energy Master (EWEM), and the wind energy specialisation in the Sustainable Energy programme.

167 BSc. Students

162 Supervised master theses

108 PhD fellows

342 MSc. Eng student FTE

185 Online master participants

164.000 Massive Open Online Course

Scientific Advising

We provide research-based consultancy on five continents. In collaboration with the Danish Energy Agency and partners we support national and regional capacity building through training and the establishment of test centres.

Cases

• Wind Atlas for South Africa (WASA4)

• Wind resource assessment in Ethiopia

• Improving wind resource assessment in Egypt

• Feasibility study for onshore wind in Ukraine

• Pre-feasibility study for offshore wind in Egypt

Image: The coast of South Africa in the Global Wind Atlas. It has a similar depth as the Danish coast in the North Sea. According to the GWEC, South Africa has a huge potential for offshore wind farm installations

Software

Wind ressource assessment, siting and energy yield calculations

Python-based API for running WAsP models

Wind conditions for fatigue loads, extreme loads and siting

Wind Farm Optimizer

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine simulation Code 2nd generation

Aero-servo-elastic stability tool for wind turbines

Beam Cross section Analysis Software

Open source tool for wind farm flow modelling

Tool to simulate wind and solar generation time series

Digital Twin of SYSLAB (”SYSLAB-in-a-box)”

Real-time data management system

Tool for real-time power system stability management Software

Image: Mean wind speeds at the wind farm in Serra de Santa Luzia on the west coast of Portugal. PyWAsP can be used to investigate wind ressources while taking both terrain effects and wind turbines wake effects into account.

Research infrastructure

Material Lab

Poul la Cour Tunnel

Large Scale Facility

Østerild Test Centre

• Risø Research Turbines

• Control Center Lab

• AC/DC Wind Power lab

• BladeLab

• Smart Converter Lab

• Energy System Integration Lab (SYSLAB)

Energy System

Simulation Lab

PowerlabDK

Høvsøre Test Centre

Hybrid Power Plant

• Windscanner

• Electric Vehicle Lab

• Bornholm Smart Energy Community

• Power Student Lab

Photo: The Risø Research Turbine reflected through the optics of the 6” Windscanner.

Our research is guided by impact, focused on addressing key barriers and developing opportunities to achieve a 100% renewable energy system and support continued Danish and European leadership in wind energy.

Strategic aspiration

We lead large-scale trend-setting projects with world-class partners to set the standards for new developments in the energy sector.

Fertile environment for break-through research

Grow and develop our department by building teams

We provide a fertile environment for breakthrough research based on an academic culture of excellence and access to state-of-the-art facilities.

We develop our organisational capacity and professionalism across the management of facilities, tools, data, and people to fully unlock the powerful synergies.

We grow and develop our department by building teams that can attract the best minds to work together across scientific disciplines to offer unique integrated solutions to partners.

Collaboration

DTU Wind and Energy Systems builds on a legacy of being a preferred partner to the energy sector and the academic community in developing green technologies.

We are represented in all major national and international energy organisations and R&D platforms. We host the secretariat of the IEA Wind Technology Collaboration Programme facilitating more than 40 research projects with researchers all over the world.

150 Academic partners

280 Business partners

42 Different countries

250 Research projects