A new report from Navigant Research examines the range of wind turbine optimization services offered by the top US wind turbine OEMs, providing recommendations for wind plant owners and wind turbine OEMs on evaluation and implementation.
The wind energy sector is becoming increasingly competitive and lucrative as wind turbine OEMs combine software and hardware to unlock increased annual energy production (AEP) from the vast fleet of aging operational wind turbines. In addition, a wealth of engineering expertise gained over decades of wind turbine design and deployment is allowing OEMs to develop larger and more efficient wind turbines that operate at higher capacity factors and produce higher AEP than older turbines. This knowledge can be retroactively applied to older operational turbines.
The report examines the range of wind turbine optimization services offered by the top wind turbine OEMs in the US and determines which platforms are key targets and which may have limitations.
“Wind turbine optimization is no longer a speculative science. There are now thousands of wind turbines across multiple wind turbine manufacturers and turbine platforms that have extracted an additional 1% to 5% or more AEP with optimization services applied,” says Jesse Broehl, senior research analyst with Navigant Research. “Revenue is being left on the table if optimization is not implemented or not offered for specific turbine platforms.”
To gain a competitive advantage in this market, Navigant Research recommends wind plant owners evaluate and implement turbine optimization, while turbine OEMs work to better communicate their optimization offerings. OEMs should also offer optimization services if they do not already to open the door for more lucrative full-service operations and maintenance, and large owners of wind plants should evaluate in-sourced optimization.
The report, Harnessing Wind Turbine Optimization to Unlock Hidden Revenue, examines the range of wind turbine optimization services offered by the top wind turbine OEMs in the US and determines which platforms are key targets and which may have limitations. It focuses on GE Renewable Energy, Vestas, and Siemens Gamesa since those companies account for most of the wind turbines operational in the US during 2018.
The study provides recommendations for wind plant owners and wind turbine OEMs on evaluating and implementing optimization services for wind turbines. Navigant Research also provides estimates of the addressable market for turbine optimization services using the U.S. as a case study. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the Navigant Research website.
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