4 innovation insights from the development of offshore wind energy

Offshore wind farms and the innovative techniques that come with them are impressive. Dozens of wind turbines at sea, expected to deliver reliable energy for decades under the most demanding conditions. These wind farms did not appear overnight. Over the years, the sector has learned how to improve a complex product step by step.

Those lessons are also valuable when you are thinking about developing or innovating a product of your own. Not because your product is also in the field of wind energy, but because the approach and innovations that have been developed work for any complex technical product.

In this blog:

• Designing for reality
• Building in parts
• Testing in practice early
• Thinking about context

Designing for reality

The Netherlands is blessed with extensive coastlines and shallow waters, placing it in a privileged position when it comes to harnessing offshore wind energy. The relatively shallow waters along the Dutch coast make it possible to install wind turbines in locations that are not only technically feasible, but also cost-effective. These conditions are the starting point for our wind farms. They determine how a wind turbine is designed, which materials are used, how a foundation is constructed and how the turbine continues to function reliably for decades without periodic maintenance.

Developing offshore wind farms therefore does not start with the product itself, but with the environment in which it needs to operate. The sector has learned to design from the actual environment, not from an ideal situation. This is an approach we recommend for every innovation and every new product. When you think early about the real usage environment and the way a product will be used, you can make better design choices, identify showstoppers more quickly and avoid costly adjustments later in the process.

Building in parts

Wind turbines are not built at sea. They are produced in parts, transported and assembled on location at sea. This is not a choice made for convenience, but a deliberate approach that accelerates innovation. If a new type of rotor blade performs better, the entire turbine does not need to be replaced. Each component can be improved independently without having to redesign the entire system.

This is a process applicable to any innovation. A product that consists of separate components is easier to manufacture, adjust and improve. It also offers the possibility to test individual components without everything needing to be fully worked out first.

Testing in practice early

The first offshore wind farms were located relatively close to the Dutch coast and were smaller than the farms being built today. The reason for this was to make testing easier before building further out at sea. Each farm generated data on how the wind turbines performed under real conditions. Does the control system run stably in strong winds? And how does the foundation respond to the current? These questions are not answered in an office, but by building and measuring.

This is the approach we apply to every product. Not waiting until everything is perfect, but testing a first prototype in practice as quickly as possible. What works? What does not? And what can we improve? We then implement improvements and test again. This iterative process brings us ever closer to a product that truly does what it needs to do in practice.

Curious about what this process looks like? Read more about it in our blog on prototyping at scale.

Thinking about context

Offshore wind farms are not placed at sea by coincidence. They are located near ports, making transport and maintenance possible. In addition, their proximity to industry makes it possible to put the generated energy to immediate use. These two factors are part of the design and partly determine whether an offshore wind farm is profitable and manageable.

The same applies to any other product. How is it manufactured? How does it reach the end user? Who uses it and in what situation? By thinking about this early, better choices can be made and problems later in the process can be avoided.

From offshore wind farms to your innovation

Offshore wind turbines show that complex products are not conceived overnight. They emerge by designing from reality, building smartly in parts, testing early and taking context into account from the very beginning.

At Beeliners, we incorporate this into our way of working for the energy and heating sector. We quickly design a prototype so that we can test under various conditions and identify showstoppers at an early stage. Do you have an idea for a new product or an innovation? We are happy to think along with you.