Dynamic coupled Atmosphere–Ocean–Wave modeling for enhanced coastal wind resource assessment

As the global deployment of offshore wind energy accelerates, accurate and dynamic quantification of wind resources has become a scientific and engineering priority. This study develops a novel Atmosphere–Ocean–Wave (AOW) coupled model that integrates the WRF-WFP, ROMS, and SWAN components to simulate the multi-physical interactions among atmosphere, ocean, and wave systems. Compared to uncoupled or partially coupled configurations, the fully coupled AOW model demonstrates superior performance in capturing wind speed variability. Validation against SCADA data from offshore wind farms in Jiangsu, China, shows a reduction in RMSE from 1.29 m/s (WRF only) to 1.09 m/s using the AOW configuration. This improvement is primarily attributed to the bidirectional coupling that dynamically accounts for surface roughness, wake recovery, and mesoscale land–sea interaction effects. The model enables high-resolution, physics-informed simulations of offshore wind field evolution under varying environmental conditions. It not only improves the accuracy of offshore wind resource assessments but also provides actionable insights for turbine siting, array layout optimization, and regional energy policy planning. The proposed AOW modeling framework thus offers a robust tool for supporting the sustainable and climate-resilient expansion of offshore wind infrastructure.