By Duncan Higham, VP Global Strategy, Remote Medical International As the world continues to grapple with a global pandemic, companies with offshore wind operations are looking at ways to improve processes while reducing costs. A major part of this is maintaining the health and safety of offshore and remote employees. And while every organization has health and…
Common pitfalls to avoid when setting up drone programs
By Scott Duffin, director of client drone strategy and business development, Skyward, a Verizon Company Drones can come in handy for wind O&M technicians, as long as their use is accepted across all levels of the company. In order for wind techs to gain a helping hand from drones, they should avoid these common pitfalls…
Drone checklists play a critical role in disaster response, and wind techs should adopt these practices
By Scott Duffin, director of client drone strategy and business development, Skyward, a Verizon Company In the aftermath of a natural disaster, drones can be critical tools for first responders and recovery workers. As an eye in the sky, drones provide situational awareness that helps response teams target critical locations even when roads are blocked…
The United States needs more transparency around fire data for safer wind operations
By Angela Krcmar, Global Sales Manager, Wind, Firetrace International Fire is one of the most expensive losses for any wind farm owner and operator to manage. Beyond the potential devastation of the turbine, fires pose a serious hazard to human life and the environment. As such, the wind industry is already taking action to prevent…
The case for harmonizing health and safety protocols in the wind industry
By Alan Chivers, chairman, The Renewables Consulting Group The Global Wind Organisation (GWO) was formed in 2012 by major developers, operators and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) with the intent to deliver uniform training designed specifically for the wind industry. In a short period of time, GWO training has become the gold standard and is typically…
Comparing offshore wind turbine foundations
By Marla Keene, technology writer, AX Control U.S. adoption of offshore wind technology has been slow compared to European counterparts. Europe’s first offshore wind installation, Denmark’s Vindeby, came online in 1991 with a capacity of 4.9 MW. The U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has estimated that the winds off U.S. coasts could generate four-times the…
New cable designs are critical for floating wind turbines
By Maxime Toulotte, head of technical marketing, Nexans Subsea and Land Systems business group (SLS) Offshore wind is enjoying a boom time, contributing more and more to the global energy transition with smarter operations and more powerful wind turbines. Europe is still the largest market, accounting for nearly 80% of global offshore wind capacity, while…
Pitch control valves: Built to last longer and lower O&M costs
By Eduardo Gimenez, CEO; Len Kaster, PE, CFPE, technical sales support; Madeline Hanley, technical marketing and sales; ALA Industries The United States is a leader in wind energy — wind generates 7% of the electricity Americans use. But it’s still behind the Europe Union, which receives 12% of its electricity generation from wind turbines. The…
U.S. offshore wind Q&A with Ventolines
The Dutch firm Ventolines has signed on as offshore wind expertise partner for Mayflower Wind, a huge offshore wind project starting 30 miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, and has opened its first permanent U.S. office in Boston. Windpower Engineering & Development connected with Thibaut de Groen, Ventolines’ director of contracting and construction, and Lorry…
Mastering the digital transformation network: Wind energy’s impact on global sustainability hinges on holistic innovation
By Gaurav Gupta, Chief Business Officer, L&T Technology Services We are living through a phase of continuous change and zeitgeist. We may not notice, but the natural sources of power are all around us, shaping the energy sector, and indeed our lives and our future. The transition to renewable energy has already begun, but its…
Early detection can save bearings from catastrophic failure
By David Clark, CMS Wind About 50% of drivetrain failures are in the generator, and they are predictable by months with the right detection. The failures are grouped into three specific categories: bearing-related, electrical-related and misalignments. We’ve already discussed electrical fluting and misalignments, so now let’s talk about bearing failures. How specific is vibration? How early…
Vibration analysis is best defense against misalignment
By David Clark, CMS Wind About 50% of drivetrain failures are in the generator, and they are predictable by months with the right detection. The failures are grouped into three specific categories: bearing-related, electrical-related and misalignments. We’ve already discussed electrical fluting, and now we’ll describe misalignments. Misalignment between the gearbox output (or high-speed shaft) and the…
The U.S. can hit the ground running with these data-driven O&M tips for offshore wind
By Gareth Brown, CEO, Clir Renewables The U.S. offshore wind industry is set to take off in the coming years, with more than 5 GW of cutting-edge turbines due to come online by 2025 and take advantage of the country’s high offshore windspeeds. However, in order to make the most of this fantastic opportunity to…
The ELF not welcome in the wind industry
By David Clark, CMS Wind About 50% of drivetrain failures are in the generator, and they are predictable by months with the right detection. The failures are grouped into three specific categories: bearing-related, electrical-related and misalignments. Here we’ll discuss electrical fluting caused by an “ELF.” Stray electrical current is not a problem unique to wind.…
Polyurethane proves it is ideal for wind power seals
By Kurt Sassmannshausen, product development manager, System Seals While nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) has been a staple of wind-turbine seals for decades, advancements in polyurethane formulas, processing and seal design are quickly sidelining NBR’s place in the industry. The qualities proving most beneficial include abrasion resistance, fluid compatibility, ozone resistance, mechanical strength and the ability…
Composites and renewable energy: Powering the future
By Robert Glass, head of marketing, Exel Composites Climate change is arguably the biggest threat to our planet, with its long term effects being variable in magnitude and difficult to predict. Its resultant extreme weather patterns can damage infrastructure, threaten food security, degrade the environment and pose a risk to human health and safety. A powerful…
How digitalization and private wireless are increasing wind farm safety and productivity
By David Christophe, Director of Utility Solutions Marketing, Nokia As wind power projects continue to increase their turbine size and move further offshore, the importance of industrial-grade private wireless connectivity only increases. A constant, reliable network enables workers to operate safely and in new ways during construction and operation as they remotely monitor, inspect and…
Using long-lasting composites for increased blade lengths
By Dag Kirschke, Wind Energy Segment Owner, Exel Composites The demand for wind energy is increasing. It’s clean, cost effective and sustainable. As environmental and climate change concerns are influencing a greater need for renewable and sustainable energy, wind turbines are a substantial part of the solution — with over 340,000 wind turbines in the…
The true cost of wind turbine fires and protection
By Angela Krcmar, Global Sales Manager, Wind, Firetrace International The American wind industry has stayed resilient through a difficult year, with a positive outlook for development in the years ahead. However, in order to continue to grow and thrive throughout this crisis, owners and operators cannot afford to be complacent around fire risk. A high-profile…
An inside look at NYSERDA’s award-winning offshore wind program
By Maria Blais Costello, Clean Energy States Alliance Since 2016, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has been working to develop offshore wind in the most responsible and cost-effective way possible. Its first procurement of offshore wind power has demonstrated the resounding success of its years of careful study, stakeholder engagement…