UpWind Solutions partnered with SMART BLADE GmbH to study the design and installation process of custom Vortex Generator (VG) solutions and determined the impact on Annual Energy Production (AEP). After completing a three month performance analysis on WTGs compared to control turbines, there is clear data that supports the value of custom VGs and installation…

The U.S. has an installed wind-power capacity of some 60,000 MW that come from over 45,000 turbines. Most of those are a far from retirement so keeping them working will require special attention to problematic gearboxes. Slowly, the gearbox has revealed why it has not lasted 20 years, so one presentation in this webcast will…

As wind farms continue to sprout worldwide, networking technology is a key component to keeping wind farms up and running at peak efficiency. An important part of the technologically-savvy wind farm is industrial-grade Ethernet, which has evolved to combine rugged networking with reliable performance and advanced features. Join Red Lion Controls for an insider’s look…

A major component of predictive maintenance for wind turbines is condition monitoring. This sort of monitoring alerts owners and operators of developing failures so maintenance can be scheduled and issues can be addressed prior to failure. As the wind industry becomes more sophisticated with O&M, condition monitoring systems (CMS) take on a new role. Jeff…

Live webinar date was March 20, 2013. Watch the archived version by filling out the form below. Now is the time to evaluate how additional measurements could be used to maximize wind project value. With the recently passed PTC extension, many projects are slated for financing and completion in 2014. Additional measurements can have a…

Money is everything, said an OEM executive when asked about challenges to the wind industry’s growth. In this period of uncertainty, the comment suggests we take a look at what has worked well in financing wind projects. For instance, Canada has grown its industry with a Feed in Tariff or FIT while the U.S. has…

Technological progress is a common external force impacting energy companies worldwide, whether it is providing an abundant supply of electricity, enabling communications and distributed intelligence at the measurement nodes in the power grid, or improving overall reliability, monitoring, and safety through disruptive technologies. Smart grid technologies are designed to optimize the push and pull from…

Wind turbine gearbox failures have plagued the wind industry for many years and only now do their designers think they know why the gearboxes only survive three to seven years before a replacement. Research has been focusing on oil contamination and sudden torque reversals as solutions. In this webinar, experts from Parker Hannifin and PT…

North America’s wind power industry has developed an unfortunate reputation for producing energy at levels less than those predicted by pre-construction energy assessments. Five factors are major contributors to over-prediction in energy assessments. These include flow-modeling bias, wake-model bias in some conditions, project availability, atmospheric stability, and long-term adjustments. This webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 31…

Encoders are a tiny (and obscure) part of a wind turbine. But the failure of a single encoder brings the entire wind turbine down, requiring expensive and time-consuming maintenance. This webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 2 PM EST will focus on identifying and eliminating the root causes of encoder failures in wind turbines. This…

Finding a suitable wind project site is just the first step toward developing a profitable wind power plant. Two tasks that follow closely include assessing the wind on the land and then laying out a high production, low-cost wind plant with turbines, roads, electrical cabling, and other infrastructure. Methods have improved considerably over the years.…

Two wind industry veterans have a lot to say to those considering a career as a wind turbine technician. Derek Johnson at Redstone College will introduce viewers to the college’s 15 month wind-technician curriculum and why you should look forward to it. Then Ryan Gaunt of Rope Partner will prep viewers with extensive safety training…