Identifying the effect of tidal height on offshore wind speed profiles

The rise and fall of the sea surface due to the tide effectively moves an offshore wind turbine hub through the wind shear profile. Offshore wind farms are being built around the coasts of Europe, including in the Baltic and the North Sea. Tidal ranges in the North Sea are greater than those in the Baltic, and the potential effect on the wind shear profile of the change in sea surface height is likely to be more significant. This article seeks to identify the effect of tidal height on the shear profile at a mast off the east coast of the UK where the maximum tidal range is 7 m. Definite evidence for the effect of tidal height on wind shear is presented, though the effect is small and there is considerable scatter in the data.