The Power of Data in Wind Asset Management
Wind energy asset managers face an increasingly complex challenge—maximizing performance and minimizing downtime while navigating an evolving technological, operational and regulatory landscape. With turbines becoming more advanced and fleets growing in size and diversity, relying on conventional monitoring methods is no longer enough. The key to unlocking efficiency lies in data-driven decision-making powered by robust analytics.
At SkySpecs, we specialize in drone-based blade inspections, drivetrain condition monitoring, and SCADA-based asset health and performance analytics. But what truly sets us apart is our ability to turn vast amounts of turbine data into actionable insights that drive real customer value.
Why Small Fleets Struggle with Data Analytics
For wind farm operators managing a small fleet of turbines, data analytics presents a special challenge. While it’s possible to monitor performance and detect anomalies, the ability to develop new, sophisticated analytics is often out of reach. Why? Because analytics relies on patterns and edge cases, and without a broad dataset, it’s difficult to develop models that are both accurate and adaptable.
Every data science method has limitations. An algorithm may work well under typical conditions, but can fail when faced with environmental variations, operational changes, or unexpected turbine behavior.
Consider a scenario where a curtailment event goes unnoticed because overall performance is low due to external factors like icing or wind shear. In such cases, a smaller dataset may lack the diversity needed to train an algorithm to distinguish between normal variations and real problems.
Furthermore, even if an operator owns a large fleet, turbine diversity complicates matters—different manufacturers, models, and site conditions introduce variability that makes it harder to develop one-size-fits-all analytics.
The Numbers Game: Why More Data Means Better Insights
Data analytics in wind energy is fundamentally a numbers game. The more turbines analyzed, the better the results. At SkySpecs, our SCADA based analytics alone are powered by data from over 6,000 continuously analysed turbines, representing approximately 20GW of capacity. Additionally, we analyze 16 GW of multi-brand CMS sensor data on an ongoing basis.
On top of that, our dataset includes inspections of over 275,000 blades, covering more than 91,600 wind turbines. This extensive data pool enables us to:
- Validate and improve algorithms continuously by testing against a vast range of scenarios.
- Identify patterns and edge cases that wouldn’t be visible in a smaller dataset.
- Improve predictive accuracy, reducing false alarms and ensuring critical issues are detected early.
- Scale solutions across fleets, making analytics not just powerful, but also operationally reliable.
Having access to such a large dataset ensures that our analytics evolve organically over time, becoming more intelligent, scalable, and valuable with every iteration.
Beyond Just Data: The Importance of Process and Cadence
Collecting and storing SCADA, blade, and CMS data in a data lake does not automatically generate value. The real impact comes from structured analytics processes.
Effective analytics must be embedded in a well-defined, end-to-end process that considers both technical and contractual factors. The frequency or cadence of analytics must be tailored to the operational realities of the asset owner:
- Monthly analysis is a solid foundation for most operators, ensuring consistent insights without overloading teams.
- Higher-frequency monitoring (e.g. weekly or daily) may be necessary for high-priority assets, but this requires a more specialized approach to avoid excessive false positives.
- Regardless of the cadence, monitoring processes must align with service agreements—whether full-service or self-performed—to optimize efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
The same principles apply to CMS monitoring and blade inspections. A structured approach ensures that insights don’t just exist in a report, but actively drive operational improvements.
Optimizing Resources: Automate the Repetitive, Solve the Unsolved
This blog is based on an interview with Nuveen, exploring how data analytics can drive greater efficiency in wind energy operations. Read on to discover key insights from the discussion
The wind industry faces a talent shortage, particularly when it comes to skilled analysts and asset managers. Instead of wasting human potential on repetitive manually-intensive tasks, organizations must leverage automation to free up expertise and time for solving new and complex challenges.
With automated analytics, that is using the best fitting technologies available – whether it be AI, physics-based models or human experience – asset managers can shift from reactive troubleshooting to proactive optimization. The goal is to:
- Automate and or make routine diagnostics as efficient as possible, allowing analysts to focus on high-value challenges.
- Ensure consistency in issue detection, avoiding manual biases.
- Scale analytics capabilities without strong dependencies on expanding team size.
Building Trust Through Data-Driven Decision Making
A major challenge in operational wind asset management is the interface between asset owners and service organizations—whether internal or external. With technicians and analysts stretched thin, there is little patience for unreliable insights or even small numbers of false alarms.
The solution is consistency and predictability. By implementing robust validated analytics, SkySpecs enables asset managers to build trust with stakeholders. This leads to:
- Faster decision-making, reducing response times to critical issues.
- Better collaboration between internal teams and third-party service providers.
- Improved long-term planning, ensuring smoother operations and higher profitability.
Continuous Improvement: The SkySpecs Advantage
At SkySpecs, we don’t just build analytics tools—we refine them continuously. With access to thousands of turbines’ worth of real-world operational data, we systematically:
- Identify emerging failure patterns before they become widespread issues.
- Back-test all improvements, ensuring that new changes enhance reliability rather than disrupt existing insights.
- Scale solutions across fleets, providing asset managers with tools that evolve organically and intelligently.
This constant cycle of innovation and validation makes our analytics more than just a software solution—it becomes an operational advantage for our customers.
A Smarter Future for Wind Energy
The wind energy industry is evolving rapidly, and data is the key driver of progress. By leveraging large-scale analytics, structured monitoring processes, and automation, asset managers can unlock higher efficiency, lower costs, and better decision-making.
At SkySpecs, we empower our customers with the most advanced analytics in the industry, ensuring that their turbines operate smarter, longer, and more profitably. Whether it’s through drone-based inspections, drive train condition monitoring, or SCADA-based performance analytics, we’re committed to turning data into value—one turbine at a time.
Are you ready to take your wind asset management to the next level? Let’s talk.
