Multi‐Rotor Systems: Can They Increase Economy‐Wide Benefits Compared to Traditional Designs?

ABSTRACT This short communication reports on the economic consequences of increasing the market share of potentially lower‐cost offshore wind designs. We use data on the projected levelised cost of energy (LCOE) for traditional horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) designs compared with an illustrativ...

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Main Authors: Jack Williamson, Kevin Connolly, Grant Allan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2025-08-01
Series:Wind Energy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/we.70045
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author Jack Williamson
Kevin Connolly
Grant Allan
author_facet Jack Williamson
Kevin Connolly
Grant Allan
author_sort Jack Williamson
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT This short communication reports on the economic consequences of increasing the market share of potentially lower‐cost offshore wind designs. We use data on the projected levelised cost of energy (LCOE) for traditional horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) designs compared with an illustrative multi‐rotor system which could have lower costs. Relative cost reductions are then introduced as improvements in productivity within the offshore wind generation sector in a computable general equilibrium model, exploring the economy‐wide impacts of different market share scenarios. We find that, due to its potentially lower LCOE, increasing the share of multi‐rotor designs in the United Kingdom would produce positive macroeconomic impacts, in terms of GDP and employment. Our findings suggest that there is merit in considering multi‐rotor wind systems as part of a future energy strategy, and a methodology by which the economic outcomes of any potentially lower‐cost technologies might be demonstrated.
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spelling doaj-art-ee9490dee80b4c728bc41896f0b7881d2025-08-20T02:48:16ZengWileyWind Energy1095-42441099-18242025-08-01288n/an/a10.1002/we.70045Multi‐Rotor Systems: Can They Increase Economy‐Wide Benefits Compared to Traditional Designs?Jack Williamson0Kevin Connolly1Grant Allan2Fraser of Allander Institute, Department of Economics University of Strathclyde Glasgow UKFraser of Allander Institute, Department of Economics University of Strathclyde Glasgow UKFraser of Allander Institute, Department of Economics University of Strathclyde Glasgow UKABSTRACT This short communication reports on the economic consequences of increasing the market share of potentially lower‐cost offshore wind designs. We use data on the projected levelised cost of energy (LCOE) for traditional horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) designs compared with an illustrative multi‐rotor system which could have lower costs. Relative cost reductions are then introduced as improvements in productivity within the offshore wind generation sector in a computable general equilibrium model, exploring the economy‐wide impacts of different market share scenarios. We find that, due to its potentially lower LCOE, increasing the share of multi‐rotor designs in the United Kingdom would produce positive macroeconomic impacts, in terms of GDP and employment. Our findings suggest that there is merit in considering multi‐rotor wind systems as part of a future energy strategy, and a methodology by which the economic outcomes of any potentially lower‐cost technologies might be demonstrated.https://doi.org/10.1002/we.70045computable general equilibriummacroeconomic modellingmulti‐rotor
spellingShingle Jack Williamson
Kevin Connolly
Grant Allan
Multi‐Rotor Systems: Can They Increase Economy‐Wide Benefits Compared to Traditional Designs?
Wind Energy
computable general equilibrium
macroeconomic modelling
multi‐rotor
title Multi‐Rotor Systems: Can They Increase Economy‐Wide Benefits Compared to Traditional Designs?
title_full Multi‐Rotor Systems: Can They Increase Economy‐Wide Benefits Compared to Traditional Designs?
title_fullStr Multi‐Rotor Systems: Can They Increase Economy‐Wide Benefits Compared to Traditional Designs?
title_full_unstemmed Multi‐Rotor Systems: Can They Increase Economy‐Wide Benefits Compared to Traditional Designs?
title_short Multi‐Rotor Systems: Can They Increase Economy‐Wide Benefits Compared to Traditional Designs?
title_sort multi rotor systems can they increase economy wide benefits compared to traditional designs
topic computable general equilibrium
macroeconomic modelling
multi‐rotor
url https://doi.org/10.1002/we.70045
work_keys_str_mv AT jackwilliamson multirotorsystemscantheyincreaseeconomywidebenefitscomparedtotraditionaldesigns
AT kevinconnolly multirotorsystemscantheyincreaseeconomywidebenefitscomparedtotraditionaldesigns
AT grantallan multirotorsystemscantheyincreaseeconomywidebenefitscomparedtotraditionaldesigns