The next decades should see both global onshore and offshore wind markets continuing to expand fast. In Europe alone, the installed wind power is expected to reach 213 GW by 2020 according to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA). The growth is driven by the upward trend in energy prices, and by national and international legislation aiming at de-carbonization of the energy sector to abate global warming and to obtain security of energy supplies.
Ever increasing energy efficiency plays a key role in achieving these overall targets, all the way from highly effective energy production sites and seamless grids and distribution systems to optimized consumption in households and industries. Wind power has long proved its value in the continuous pursuit of energy efficiency and plays an important role in the substitution of fossil fuels with renewable alternatives.
But how do you achieve optimum performance and high reliability of the wind assets? Owners, operators and developers in the wind sector are increasingly recognizing the value of continuous high performance and prevention of failure in nacelle applications. The consequences and costs associated with component failures, particularly in offshore wind farms, are big, and failures of critical components may result in loss of electricity sales or even cause damage to other components.
This article focuses on how to get the most out of the investment in wind energy by improving the efficiency and reliability of wind turbines, onshore and offshore, throughout the entire service life.