End-of-warranty (EoW) inspections for wind turbines are important for owners, serving as a crucial touchpoint before transitioning from OEM sales teams to Operations and Maintenance (O&M) teams. These inspections offer a comprehensive evaluation of turbine condition, identifying any potential issues before the warranty expires. By conducting thorough inspections, owners can maximize claim potential with the OEM by providing documented evidence of any faults covered under the warranty terms.
Moreover, the EoW allows owners to leverage their buying power for future contracts, such as Field Service Agreements (FSA) or procurement of additional turbines. The EoW analysis can serve as leverage for negotiating competitive pricing and advantageous contractual terms. Additionally, EoW inspections provide technical leverage for ongoing and future wind projects, enabling owners to make informed decisions regarding maintenance strategies and asset management.
Beyond financial implications, these inspections establish trust and accountability between owners and OEMs, showcasing the owner’s commitment to maintaining turbine integrity and performance. Overall, EoW inspections are not only about maximizing claim potential but also about strategic positioning for future endeavors in the wind energy sector.
In this blog post, we’re going to talk about how combining image, vibration, and SCADA data can really make a difference in four key areas: Failure Mode Detection, Claim Management, Maintenance Optimization, and Cost Savings & Convenience.
Keep reading for the top takeaways from the webinar, or watch the webinar.
Failure Mode Detection
When we put together images, vibration, and SCADA data, we get a 360-degree view of what’s going on with our turbines. This helps us dig deep and understand failure modes and increases the chance of finding the root causes of many problems. By looking at images alongside vibration and SCADA data, we can catch things like blade erosion, gearbox misalignment, or bearing faults and linked loss of energy before the warranty period expires and these issues become big headaches.
Claim Management
End-of-warranty inspections are crunch time for managing claims. Having solid data from images, vibration, and SCADA helps us back up our claims with solid evidence. Whether validating warranty claims based on visual evidence of defects or correlating vibration signatures with operational parameters, this multidimensional approach mitigates disputes and expedites claim resolution, safeguarding financial interests and preserving stakeholder trust.
Maintenance Optimization
Efficient maintenance lies at the core of ensuring wind turbine reliability and longevity. Leveraging image, vibration, and SCADA data in tandem streamlines maintenance practices by enabling predictive and condition-based approaches. By integrating real-time vibration monitoring with SCADA data, maintenance schedules can be tailored to actual operating conditions and asset health, minimizing downtime and maximizing productivity. Furthermore, visual inspections supplemented by image analytics allow for targeted maintenance interventions, optimizing resource allocation and enhancing overall operational efficiency.
Cost Savings & Convenience
At the heart of end-of-warranty inspections lies the quest for cost savings and operational convenience. By using all this data together, we can cut down on unplanned maintenance costs, use our resources more efficiently, and keep operations running smoothly. Moreover, the convenience afforded by remote monitoring and analytics-driven decision-making enhances operational agility and responsiveness, ensuring a seamless transition from warranty to post-warranty phases with minimal disruption to operations and revenue streams.
The bottom line? Combining image, vibration, and SCADA data isn’t just a game-changer for wind turbine inspections; it’s the key to unlocking their full potential. As we keep pushing toward a cleaner, greener future, these insights will be more important than ever. So, let’s keep harnessing the power of data and keep those turbines spinning toward a brighter tomorrow!
Check out the webinar here to learn more leveraging image, vibration, and SCADA data with your end-of-warranty inspections.
