March 2017
ARTICLES
Anatomy of a Component Upgrade
A systematic view of a wind turbine can offer benefits.
As turbines come out of warranty, turbine owners absorb the costs of failed components but they also gain an opportunity to make reliability and power improvements. Component upgrades that owners often face include bearings, lubrication, cooling and filtration, condition monitoring, power increases, and load control. A systematic view of the turbine can often benefit owners, […]
Keeping Tabs on Parts and Systems
Monitoring vibrations from shipping through the lifespan of a turbine is an effective way to prevent costly downtime.
To avoid the need for costly repair or even replacement, sophisticated equipment in any industry should be accurately monitored and observed to identify maintenance needs before they escalate into true problems or equipment failures. Vibration monitoring is one of the most effective indicators of operational issues and the need for preventative maintenance in wind power, […]
Diagnosing Wear Faults
High-throughput screening of wind-turbine gearbox samples using the LaserNet 230 and automatic sample processor (ASP).
The major issue for premature failure in wind-turbine gearboxes is bearing failure, which leads to gearbox failure. A wind-turbine gearbox will not survive if the oil is not clean and especially if the hard ferrous particles are not removed from around the bearings.1 The LaserNet 230 particle counter and ferrous debris monitor has been shown […]
NEWS
IEA: CO2 Emissions Flat for Third Straight Year Despite Growing Economy
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions were flat for a third straight year in 2016 even as the global economy grew, according to the International Energy Agency, signaling a continuing decoupling of emissions and economic activity. This was the result of growing renewable power generation, switches from coal to natural gas, improvements in energy efficiency, as […]
March 17, 2017
More Than 122,000 Acres Offshore Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Auctioned for Wind-Energy Development
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Acting Director Walter Cruickshank announced the completion of the nation’s seventh competitive lease sale for renewable wind energy in federal waters. A Wind Energy Area of 122,405 acres offshore Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, received the high bid of $9,066,650 from Avangrid Renewables, […]
March 16, 2017
Energy and Manufacturing Coalition: America Can Do Better with Its Essential Transmission Infrastructure
A coalition of groups representing a broad spectrum of U.S. manufacturing, construction, energy, and environmental workers, are calling for Congress to include electric transmission provisions in any proposed infrastructure legislation and streamline expansion of U.S. electrical infrastructure. A co-signed letter by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the Solar […]
March 14, 2017
U.S. Wind Generation Reached 5.5 Percent of the Grid in 2016
Iowa, South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Dakota all sourced more than 20 percent of their electricity generation from wind power during 2016, according to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). It shows wind supplied more than 5.5 percent of electricity nationwide, up from 4.7 percent in 2015. With 99 percent of […]
March 6, 2017
NRDC: Replacing Coal with Renewables and Energy Efficiency Can Lead U.S. to Cleaner Energy Future
It’s cheaper and cleaner to replace retiring coal-fired power plants with wind and solar power and energy efficiency upgrades rather than to saddle the nation with more costly and climate-polluting natural gas plants, according to a report released Thursday, March 2, by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Adopting cleaner energy and efficiency in buildings, homes […]
March 2, 2017
