Introduction

The two models contained in this Turbine_CostsSE software allow for the determination of mass and costs for major wind turbine components (rotor, hub, drivetrain, tower, etc.) leading to overall turbine capital costs. The first model, contained in the nrel_csm_tcc_2015.py file, estimates turbine component masses from high-level inputs such as machine rating, rotor diameter, and number of turbine blades. The second model, contained in the turbine_costsse_2015.py file, estimates component costs given input mass values.

The mass and cost scaling relationships included in these two files were compiled in 2015 as an update to the NREL Cost and Scaling Model (CSM). This model dates back to 2006 [FHL05] and itself drew on prior work in the Wind Partnerships for Advanced Component Technology (WindPACT) project that occurred between roughly 2002 to 2005, and the University of Sunderland model [HJ93]. This 2015 refresh only focused on turbine capital costs, however, so the prior approximations for balance of station cost, operational and maintenance costs, and annual energy production can still be found in the nrelcsm module that contains the original code.

All mass and cost estimates in this module use simple regressions. However, all component mass and cost values can be overridden from external sources. Full turbine analysis in WISDEM take full advantage of this feature as the component masses estimated through design optimization are considered to be much more accurate than the simple regression. Furthermore, some other WISDEM modules also include detailed, “bottoms-up” cost estimates that are much more accurate than the scaling relationships used here. Nevertheless, the modular design allows the user to override some of the component mass and cost values with better estimates, but leave others in place where less accuracy is acceptable.