Competency-based training
Creating an educated workforce skilled to meet the demands of a changing economy is the focus at Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s Groves Campus. Originally...
Rising Costs of Wind O&M and the Importance of the Human Factor
As fleets age and the cost of wind-energy O&M rises, wind-farm owners and operators look far and wide for ways to achieve efficiency. In...
Cheaper Wind Equals More Wind
American wind energy continues to power forward to reach new heights. Today, it powers more U.S. families and businesses than ever before — the...
Cheaper Wind Equals More Wind
American wind energy continues to power forward to reach new heights. Today, it powers more U.S. families and businesses than ever before — the...
The World of Turbine Bearings
The operational challenges for wind turbines can be daunting, whether related to increased turbine power and size, extreme weather conditions, heavy loads, and/or remote...
The Business Value of Digitalization
Digitalization may mean something different depending on who you are talking to in the wind industry. For some, digitalization is about getting ahead of...
Small component, big reliability
When extremely high-speed data communication is a necessity in a wind turbine, one solution is a fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ).
While not a new...
Verifying remote sensing devices
Edition 2 of the International Electrotechnical Commissions (IEC) 61400-12-1 standard for power performance measurements was released in early 2017. This new standard codified the...
Priming the grid for green
Connecting the East Coast’s first offshore wind development (Block Island Wind Farm) to the electric grid involved installing new overhead and underground lines onshore,...
Improving the friction power of gears and bearings
A machine that runs endlessly without any wear and frictional losses — who wouldn’t dream of that? Unfortunately, such a machine does not exist...
Extending the life of wind-turbine components
With the increasing demand for carbon-free renewable energy, more companies are turning to wind power as a source for their energy needs. Although this...
Monitoring wind in cold climates
Wind-farm operators in cold-weather climates such as Canada, Sweden, and parts of the United States are confronted with unique operating challenges. When faced with...
Changing Turbine Gearbox Oil
Wind turbines remain a significant component of alternative electricity generation. The traditional design of such turbines includes a rotor, a generator, and a gearbox,...
Torque loading: Standards have limits
(Editor’s note: This article on torque loading is presented in two parts. Part 1 on how drivetrain components are important in analyzing component performance...
The Role Of Lidar In Offshore Wind Measurement
The advanced wind-measurement capabilities of Lidar have unleashed tremendous opportunities for the offshore wind industry. After years of successful validation campaigns, offshore professionals are...
Torque Loading: Standards Have Limits
Editor’s note: This article on torque loading is presented in two parts. Part 2 will discuss the specific industry standards for wind-turbine drivetrains and...
The Critical Component For Torque Equipment? ISO 17025
There are thousands of bolted connections in each wind turbine. Whether it’s the largest tower bolts or the smallest electrical box connections, every bolt...
Successful Wind Farms Start Underground
The Great Dismal Swamp was once a place “where the abundant growth and vegetation of nature, sucking up its forces from the humid soil,...
Offshore wind farm installation vessels have come a long way, keep evolving
With the installation of the first operational wind farm by Deepwater Wind off the coast of Rhode Island and the promise of the U.S....
A proper balancing act
If you’re involved in wind power or another endeavor with elevated work, you likely already know that a dropped object prevention program is important....
