physics

Narec

Narec is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Narec rather than just read about it. In short: Narec, since 2014 known as the National Renewable Energy Centre, is a part of the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, a British technology innovation and research centre for offshore wind power, wave energy, tidal energy and low carbon technologies. ORE Catapult's head office is in Glasgow, Scotland.

Key takeaways

Narec belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Narec to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Narec from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Narec, since 2014 known as the National Renewable Energy Centre, is a part of the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, a British technology innovation and research centre for offshore wind power, wave energy, tidal energy and low carbon technologies. ORE Catapult's head office is in Glasgow, Scotland. The centre operates multi-purpose offshore renewable energy test and demonstration facilities. It is similar to other centres, such as NREL in the US and National Centre for Renewable Energies (CENER) in Spain. The National Renewable Energy Centre is based in Blyth, Northumberland.

History Originally known as NaREC (New and Renewable Energy Centre), the centre was created in 2002 by One NorthEast, the North East regional development agency, as part of the Strategy for Success programme. In 2010 the organisation changed its name to Narec (National Renewable Energy Centre). In April 2014, the organisation merged with the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult to focus on the development and cost reduction of offshore wind, wave and tidal energy across the UK. The organisation was originally involved in a wide range of technologies, including:

Wind (onshore and offshore) Transmission and distribution Photovoltaics Oil and gas Marine renewables Fuel cells Microrenewables Biomass In 2010, due to UK government cutbacks, Narec closed, sold off or separated parts of the business. Spin-off companies include: Decerna – Working on energy efficiency, solar farm design, preparation of MW-scale battery sites, grid connection, and life-cycle assessment. The company was renamed from Narec Distributed Energy Limited in 2022. Solar Capture Technologies – Specialises on bespoke and novel solar photovoltaic systems, including off-grid systems. Renamed from Narec Solar in 2013. NCL Technology Ventures – A specialist healthcare investor, originally created by Narec and Ashberg Limited. Renamed from Narec Capital in 2013. Renewable Risk Advisers Limited – renamed from Narec Capital Risk Solutions Limited in 2012. Following its merger with ORE Catapult, the National Renewable Energy Centre now focuses on helping to de-risk and accelerate the development and commercialisation of the offshore renewable energy industry in the UK.

Operations The National Renewable Energy Centre is involved in:

Wind turbine rotor blades Product certification, verification and investigations for the next generation offshore wind turbines.

Power trains and components 3 MW and 15 MW facilities that can perform independent performance and reliability assessments of full systems and components.

Electrical networks UKAS accredited laboratories with specialist test and measurement facilities to help develop technologies needed for developing power systems and exploring life extension opportunities for ageing assets.

Subsea trials and demonstrations Controlled onshore salt water location for all stages of technology development.

Resource measurement and assessment Open access facility for testing, calibrating and verifying remote sensor technologies

Closed facilities

Clothier High Voltage Laboratory The Clothier Electrical Testing Laboratory was opened in 1970 by A. Reyrolle & Company. Narec took over the facility in 2004, to use it to test the robustness of electrical infrastructure offshore locations to onshore sites. Although one of the few high voltage testing facilities in the world, the facility was closed by Narec in 2011 due to a lack of government funding. Many parts of the lab were relocated to Narec's main campus in Blyth. The ruins of the original lab are now the property of Siemens.

Current facilities

Charles Parsons Technology Centre Built in 2004, this £5m facility contains a low voltage electrical laboratory for the testing of connecting renewable energy systems to the transmission and distribution grid. Some of the equipment and staff from the closed Narec Clothier Electrical Testing Laboratory were moved to this facility.

Training tower This is a 27m high tower, for training of offshore wind technicians.

Dry docks Tests marine devices with three modified dry docks.

Power train test facilities – 3MW and 15MW Facilities that can perform independent performance and reliability assessments of full systems and components.

Blade test 1 & 2 The blade testing facilities at National Renewable Energy Centre are designed to test wind turbine blades up to 100m in length. Blades are tested using a Compact Resonant Mass (CRM) system. ORE Catapult is working on a technique of blade testing known as "Dual Axis".

European funded research ORE Catapult is involved in a number of European funded research projects including Tidal EC, Optimus and LIFES50+.

Conferences and papers Narec staff have written papers which have appeared in journals and international energy conferences. These are mainly in the subjects of photovoltaics, wind, marine, and electrical infrastructure. A short list of some of these is given below:

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Narec

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Narec claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Narec before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Narec ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Narec

In research: Narec appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Narec in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Narec is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 2002 establishments in England, Blyth, Northumberland, Catapult centres, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Narec outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Narec in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Narec means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Narec out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Narec in simple terms?

Why does Narec matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Narec?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Narec.