Thinking about adding a few windmills to your property or starting a wind farm? If you want to keep your turbines in good working order and producing energy like they should, maintenance is something you’ll need to plan for.
Read on to get a clear picture of what it’ll take to keep your turbines running efficiently.
Contents:
What Is Wind Turbine Maintenance?
Wind turbine maintenance refers to the routine care turbines need to stay in good shape.
Turbine upkeep involves regular inspections, part lubrication, cleaning, and repairs. These maintenance duties help preserve wind turbines and ensure they perform at their best.
Importance of Wind Turbine Maintenance
Wind turbines might look strong and steady, but behind the scenes, maintenance is what keeps them humming along. Although they’re designed to last around 25 years, without regular care, they won’t even come close. So, what can go wrong if you neglect this?
First, there’s equipment failure. When turbines don’t get the attention they need, parts wear down and cause unexpected breakdowns. The result? Stalled energy production, disrupted operations, and mounting costs. Every minute a turbine is offline is money lost.
That’s why wind energy maintenance focuses on catching small issues before they turn into big problems. A loose bolt might not seem like much, but if left unchecked, it can lead to expensive repairs. Regular checkups keep your turbine inspection costs predictable, a necessity to avoid surprises later on.
Safety is another concern. While wind turbines have a good safety record, like any machine, they can be dangerous if not properly maintained. Problems like loose wires or overheating parts could crop up, potentially causing fires or accidents. In 2022, 298 turbine incidents were reported, showing just how critical it is to regularly maintain equipment.
Who Is Responsible for Wind Turbine Maintenance?
Keeping wind turbines turning smoothly is no small task, and it takes a skilled team to get the job done. Let’s take a closer look at the experts behind this hard work.
Wind Turbine Technicians
Wind turbine technicians, or “windtechs,” are the workers who install wind turbines and keep them up and running. As the wind energy industry grows, these professionals are in high demand.
This maintenance role generally involves:
- Tower Inspections: Check the outside of towers to make sure everything looks good and is safe.
- Routine Wind Farm Maintenance: Perform regular servicing to keep turbines working efficiently.
- Parts Replacement: Swap out any worn-out or broken components.
- Data Gathering: Collect data from turbines for testing and research.
- System Evaluation: Test electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic systems.
- Transmission System Work: Service underground transmission lines, substations, and fiber optic control systems.
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Wind Maintenance and Operations Manager
The wind maintenance and operations manager is the team leader, ensuring smooth operations. They supervise the maintenance personnel and manage the admin side of things.
Here’s a breakdown of their key responsibilities:
- Team Leadership: Hire, train, and guide windtechs, providing support and direction.
- Safety Management: Make sure all work stays in compliance with safety standards and regulations.
- Daily Operations Oversight: Manage the day-to-day activities of the upkeep team.
- Performance Monitoring: Track turbine performance data to spot potential issues and prevent breakdowns.
- Resource Coordination: Collaborate with other departments to ensure parts, tools, and resources are available when needed.
- Report Preparation: Document on-site turbine maintenance activities, tracking completed tasks and identifying future needs.
Wind Turbine Quality Inspectors
Wind turbine quality inspectors make sure every part of the turbine meets high standards. They help keep turbines safe and efficient by spotting and fixing issues early.
Here’s a look at what their job covers:
- Parts Inspection: Check turbine components like blades and nacelles.
- Issue Reporting: Identify and document any problems that need fixing.
- Quality Management: Oversee the quality control process to ensure everything is up to standard.
- Report Review: Approve and keep inspection reports organized.
- Audit Participation: Help with audits to ensure all standards are met.
Read More Read More How CPP is reducing wind farm inspection time by 43%
4 Types of Wind Turbine Maintenance
Wind turbine care can take different forms. Here’s a quick and simple guide to the various types that keep them spinning.
1. Wind Turbine Predictive Maintenance
The best way to avoid expensive repairs or breakdowns is with predictive maintenance. To do this, wind farms use computer systems to figure out when maintenance is needed and what might happen if it’s skipped.
How does this work? Operators attach sensors to key parts of the turbines to monitor their condition. These sensors send data to computer systems, which analyze it to predict potential issues. The data collected typically includes:
- How the rotor shaft is moving
- Any shifts in the foundation
- Lubrication levels
- Temperatures
- Vibration levels
2. Wind Turbine Preventative Maintenance
For predictive maintenance to really do its job, you also need to stay on top of preventative upkeep. This works in the same way as preventative maintenance on vehicles, such as oil changes and tire rotations.
Like a vehicle, the more regularly you complete predictive maintenance, the lower the likelihood of predictive sensors missing key data and the lower the chances of the turbine failing.
Every part of a wind turbine has its own upkeep schedule. Some tasks need to be done every six months, while others might only come up every few years. Here are some of the most important wind energy maintenance duties:
- Inspecting turbine blades
- Checking the tower foundation
- Evaluating the nacelle
- Aligning the drivetrain
- Inspecting and tightening bolts
- Fixing corrosion and cracks
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3. Wind Turbine Reactive Maintenance
Reactive maintenance is like waiting until your car breaks down before you take it to the shop. It means you’re only making repairs when something actually fails. This might sound risky, but this method lets you get the most out of your equipment by using it right up to the breaking point.
The downside? It can lead to unexpected downtime and higher repair costs when things go wrong.
Here are some common reactive maintenance activities:
- Replacing broken turbine blades
- Repairing or replacing faulty gearboxes
- Fixing or replacing malfunctioning generators
- Repairing damage to the nacelle caused by severe weather
4. Wind Turbine Corrective Maintenance
Corrective maintenance is about addressing a problem before it gets worse. It focuses on fixing equipment when it’s starting to show signs of trouble or when its performance is slipping and costing you money. Unlike reactive maintenance, which only happens after something fully breaks down, corrective maintenance steps in early to prevent bigger issues.
This kind of servicing usually comes into play because of things like aging parts, design flaws, or just the normal wear and tear from everyday use. Some examples of corrective maintenance for wind turbines include:
- Replacing damaged turbine blades before they fail completely
- Changing worn-out bearings to prevent further damage
- Updating and improving control and safety systems to maintain optimal performance
- Fixing electrical issues, like short circuits, before they cause major outages
How Often Do Wind Turbines Need Maintenance?
Do wind turbines need a lot of maintenance? Well, that depends on whether you’re performing periodic maintenance or waiting for things to break down. Generally, it’s a good rule of thumb to set up an upkeep schedule that includes routine servicing every four to six months.
If these regular maintenance intervals are missed, you might see turbines standing still, even when the wind is blowing strongly.
Which Wind Turbine Elements Should Be Maintained?
Wind turbines have many parts that need regular attention to stay in peak condition. Here’s a quick look at some key wind turbine elements and the maintenance tasks that keep them performing at their best.
| Turbine Part or Component | Importance | Key Maintenance Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Blades | Capture wind energy to turn into power | Inspect for cracks and damageClean off dirt and debrisRepair or replace damaged sections |
| Tower | Supports the entire turbine structure | Inspect for corrosion, defects, or rustCheck for structural integrityTighten loose bolts |
| Nacelle | Houses key components like the gearbox and generator | Inspect for structural damage or corrosionEnsure seals are intact to protect from weatherLubricate and inspect moving parts |
| Generator | Converts mechanical energy (spinning) into electrical power | Lubricate and align bearings Clean slip rings and brushesCheck rotor insulation |
| Gearbox | Boosts the rotational speed, allowing the generator to produce electricity efficiently | Monitor oil levels and qualityCheck for oil leaksInspect for wear or damage |
| Yaw Drive | Ensures the turbine faces the best wind direction | Inspect motors and gearsCheck for misalignmentLubricate moving parts |
| Pitch System | Adjusts the angle of the blades based on wind speed and direction | Test system sensorsInspect and lubricate actuatorsCheck electrical connections |
Wind Turbine Maintenance Costs
According to a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, about a third of the lifetime cost of a wind power plant comes from operations and maintenance. But there’s more to the cost of wind energy than just that.
Installation
The rule is simple: the more turbines you install, the more you save. And installation costs have dropped significantly – by over 50% from 2008 to 2020. While there was a price spike between 2020 and 2022 due to supply chain issues, things settled down in 2023. Now, installation costs range from $900 to $1,100 per kilowatt.
Energy Generation
Some people wonder if wind turbines are worth it, especially when they see them standing still. But here’s the thing: the U.S Department of Energy estimates that the health, climate, and energy benefits from wind projects averaged $183 per megawatt-hour in 2023.
That’s more than three times the cost of generating wind power. So, the long-term benefits outweigh the upfront expenses.
Tax Benefits
In many countries, companies can receive tax credits for installing wind turbines. In the U.S., they can cover up to 30% of installation costs. However, these benefits will wane over time, so it’s crucial to manage energy maintenance expenditures effectively.
Design Changes
Turbines have been getting bigger and better over the years, with no signs of slowing down. In 2023, new turbines in the U.S. could produce an average of 3.4 MW of power, which is 5% more than the year before and a 375% increase since the late ’90s.
These design changes help them catch more wind and pump out more power. That means fewer are needed to get the job done, helping lower the total wind turbine installation and maintenance cost.
Maintenance Training
Is your team ready to handle wind farm operations, or could they use some extra training? A good training program covers more than just technical skills. It should include climate change, diversity, ethics, and company culture. A well-trained team keeps costs of upkeep low and ensures everything runs efficiently.
How Software Improves Wind Turbine Maintenance
Taking care of wind turbines can be a lot of work, but Fluix makes it manageable by keeping teams organized and on task. Fluix software for renewable energy streamlines maintenance and inspection processes.
With Fluix you can:
- Use digital checklists to capture inspection details in real-time, ensuring nothing gets missed.
- Access all maintenance data in one dashboard to help you make informed decisions.
- Keep an eye on turbine expenses, tax benefits, and your return on investment.
- Automate routine tasks to minimize manual work, reduce errors, and save time.
While Fluix covers a lot of ground, here are a few other tools to keep your eye on:
Digital twin technology creates a virtual copy of a wind turbine, so teams can run tests and see how it handles different situations. This helps catch problems before they happen.
Drones, equipped with high-tech cameras and sensors, can fly around turbines to check for any damage. No need to stop operations or put windtechs at risk.
Virtual Reality (VR) training lets technicians safely explore wind turbines, offering a hands-on way to learn their tasks and build confidence.
