Production and Dissemination of Marine Renewable Energy Resource Information

International audienceThis paper investigates the capacity of appropriate Earth Observation Systems (EOS) – in situ and satellite measurements, numerical models – to deliver basic variables from which high level information relevant for Marine Renewable Energy (MRE) resource assessment can be generated. In addition, an operational solution for the production and dissemination of such information is proposed and set up. First, the parameters expected by end-users for accurate MRE resource assessment are identified. It turns out that a combination of appropriate spatial coverage and resolution, duration of time series and accuracy has to be met for the EOS data set to be relevant for the production of such parameters. Consequently, long term, high resolution hindcasts of sea states are identified as offering the best compromise over in situ and remote sensing measurements, which are best suited for models calibration and validation. Based on this analysis, a 19-year sea-state hindcast, Homere, has been selected. Homere accurately delivers relevant basic variables at appropriate time and spatial scales, over an area covering the south of the North Sea, the Channel, and the Atlantic coast of France and has been used to produce high level, end-user oriented information for the characterization of marine energy resource. Finally, dissemination tools, respecting international standards of interoperability, have been developed with a user-oriented state of mind in order to deliver the information