Loss evaluation of HVAC and HVDC transmission solutions for large offshore wind farms

This paper presents a comparison of transmission losses for different technical transmission solutions for large offshore wind farms. Three technical solutions are analyzed, i.e. HVAC, HVDC Line Commutated Converter (LCC) and HVDC Voltage Source Converter (VSC). The losses for each technology are calculated for wind farms with different ratings and various distances to shore. In addition, solutions with combinations of two and the three different transmission technologies are analyzed and compared. Based on this comparison, further analysis regarding the economical feasibility can be performed in order to determine the most economic solutions for the transmission system of an offshore wind farm. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.