Accelerating wind innovation through open collaboration with DTU

We have seen this feedback loop in action several times.

In one case, our engineers identified unexpected behavior when modeling wind farms with turbines at different elevations and running calculations at scale. The team was able to reproduce the issue, understand the conditions behind it and provide DTU with a clear technical case that supported the development of an improvement.

Another example emerged as we introduced wake-steering capabilities into the Youwind platform. A particular combination of modeling approaches presented a challenge that had not been extensively explored before. Our engineers investigated the case and worked closely with DTU on a solution that better supported the combined approach.

“When research tools are applied to real projects, industry can provide valuable feedback that helps those tools mature. Youwind has proven to be a solid partner that is fully committed to push the boundaries of what can be modeled when designing wind farms for its industry as a whole”

Pierre-Elouan Réthoré, Head of Section, System Engineering  and Optimisation at DTU Wind Energy.

Because PyWake is open source, the impact of this collaboration extends beyond Youwind. Improvements resulting from this kind of collaboration can contribute to tools used by researchers, developers and wind professionals across the wider community.

This reflects a broader contribution DTU makes to the wind research and industry communities through open-source tools such as PyWake, TopFarm and OptiWindNet. By making these frameworks openly available, DTU enables researchers and companies to build on state-of-the-art methods, test them in new contexts and contribute practical experience back to the community.

For industry partners such as Youwind, this creates a different form of relationship than a traditional closed-source software model. Access to the underlying tools allows our engineers to work directly with the models, identify limitations or new use cases and share those insights with DTU. In return, DTU receives feedback from real-world applications that can help improve and mature the models. The value of open source engines is therefore not only wider access to the software, but the collaborative feedback loop it creates between research and industry.

Our work with DTU extends beyond PyWake.

Through the SUDOCO project, Youwind and DTU collaborate on areas including wind farm control, the co-design of layouts and control strategies, energy storage and security. Results are shared through scientific publications and project deliverables, contributing knowledge to the wider wind energy sector.

The same collaborative approach extends to electrical infrastructure. As part of the ADORED project, an industrial Doctoral Network, part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA), Youwind’s team member Bernardo Castro spent time at DTU conducting research in this area. DTU’s OpenWindNet software has been used to benchmark aspects of his work, while his own research has also been shared openly through the PyFlow ACDC toolbox and an accompanying scientific publication (https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10857445)

Although these projects address different challenges, they share the same underlying principle: bringing academic research and practical engineering closer together can strengthen both for the benefit of the wind industry.

“Building on DTU’s longstanding leadership in wind energy research, close collaboration with innovative industry partners such as Youwind helps bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and real-world industry needs. By continuously engaging with the industry and anticipating its evolving challenges, we can exchange knowledge, challenge existing approaches and work together to advance the next generation of wind energy solutions.”

Kenneth Thomsen, Head of Division, Wind Turbine Design at DTU Wind Energy

Open collaboration creates an opportunity for research and industry to continuously learn from one another.

For Youwind, working with DTU gives our engineers the opportunity to engage directly with cutting-edge research, modeling frameworks and new approaches that can contribute to the continued development of our platform. At the same time, applying these methods within real wind development workflows provides practical insights into how they perform across a wider range of conditions.

That exchange is particularly valuable because our engineers do more than use the models behind Youwind: they develop the platform themselves. They can connect engineering challenges with software solutions and turn experience from real projects into useful feedback for research partners.

For our clients, this means working with a platform that evolves through a combination of engineering expertise, software development, and collaboration with leading research institutions, expanding the validation of the models behind.

Because accelerating wind energy is not only about developing better tools. It is also about connecting research with practice and sharing what we learn along the way.