Duty of care – Sustainability challenges in a new era for wind
Wind energy is now an established source of power that is growing year on year. Nonetheless, as wind turbines become older and require replacing, sustainability challenges arise. What happens to these machines and their components when they can no longer be used?
Only the best will do – What do performance-based contracts offer wind energy?
When a failure occurs in a wind turbine, maintenance tasks can be costly and take time to complete. But what if there was a way to proactively assess costs, risks, opportunities, and benefits to positively impact the levelized cost of energy (LCOE)? Performance-based contracts for operation and maintenance could usher in a new era of reliability in wind energy.
Attention turns to 2019 – What will be this year’s hot topics in wind energy?
2019 promises to be a big year for wind energy. There are plenty of important events coming up, and new approaches to O&M will play a significant role in the sector. The Wind Farm Management Blog talks to Dr. Philipp Schmid from SKF for key insights into what we can expect in 2019.
System reboot – Remanufacturing lubrication systems as a new trend
Remanufacturing in wind energy is a relatively new phenomenon. When remanufacturing is mentioned in the sector, most would associate the process with bearings. But the remanufacturing trend is gathering speed and lubrication systems are the next component identified as an area where operators could significantly reduce costs.
Reborn in the USA – Video: Remanufacturing bearings at a US facility
Bearing remanufacturing centers help wind farm operators to extend the service life of their components in a cost- and time-effective manner. The Wind Farm Management Blog previously explained how bearings for wind turbines are remanufactured. This time, we provide a look inside one of SKF’s facilities in the USA, showing key aspects of the remanufacturing process in a video.
Make bearings go further – Wind energy could benefit from remanufacturing bearings
When a bearing approaches the end of its service life, it may seem logical to replace it with a new one. This has been the attitude in the wind energy sector for many years. But things might be about to change as remanufacturing bearings offers organizations the chance to become more competitive and boost uptime.