Wind Energy Podcast-uri

Were you at Blades USA last week? This episode was recorded live in Austin!We saw a lot of progress and heard about the need for more data and better solutions, especially for predictive analysis and predictive maintenance. Rosemary and Allen break down how data gathering and management are helping to find blade faults during the warranty period. W…

GE Vernova is changing course to reduce complexity and costs of its wind turbines. What are the effects on the US and international wind turbine markets? Will simplifying the product line bring GE Vernova to profitability in 2023? Phil Totaro of Intelstor.com joins the podcast to hash through the details. Visit Pardalote Consulting at https://www.p…

Rosemary and Allen are shocked by the EU stopping over 30 offshore wind projects in Denmark. In the UK, a variety of policy decisions exasperates wind developers. The new US green policy tsar unloads on Europe and creates chaos. Edge Solutions’ new leading edge protection solution (Armour Edge) may change the industry. SGRE reopens their Kansas nac…

Rosemary Barnes and Allen Hall review the latest employment data from the Airswift Global Energy Talent Index. 31% of survey respondents have been approached about a position with another company SIX TIMES OR MORE in the past year! That indicates a big boom in wind energy for technicians and site managers. However, oil and gas salaries and benefits…

Rosemary and Allen dig into the use of black paint on wind turbine blades to prevent bird strikes. Painting blades black is not a simple fix – there are structural concerns from Rosemary. Washington State and many other states are passing laws to abolish wind turbine blade disposal in landfills. Are old blades toxic? Philip Totaro of Intelstor join…

TUV Nord is employing drones and AI image recognition to inspect hybrid steel/concrete towers during the warranty period. Who will use them, what will they find, and how much will they save? Vineyard Wind will use Charles River Analytics’ Awarion system to protect whales and other marine life. The system’s algorithms were developed in part using vi…

Joel Saxum and Allen Hall review the latest info from the tower tip-over at the Pioneer Trail Wind Farm in Illinois. Keystone Tower Systems completes its first spiral welded tower for GE, and signs a big agreement for many more. The first monopile for Vineyard Wind is shipped from Germany to kick-off the build. SENSEWind developed a new method of a…

Joel and Allen deep dive into WHALES along the US East Coast. Does sonar scans at offshore wind sites affect whale behavior? The East Coast has an uptick in ship traffic – does ship density push up whale incidents? Visit Pardalote Consulting at https://www.pardaloteconsulting.com Wind Power Lab – https://windpowerlab.com Weather Guard Lightning Tec…

What’s the most profitable way to manage a wind farm? Should you rely on OEM maintenance contracts, Independent Service Providers, or self-perform? Philip Totaro from IntelStor explains the data that show ISPs provide the best returns, and we consider the warranty and insurance implications. Allen, Joel and Rosemary also talk about Perceptual Robot…

As spring approaches and wind turbines are repaired, which robot is the best solution for your next job? Joel and Allen discuss the options. Visit Pardalote Consulting at https://www.pardaloteconsulting.com Wind Power Lab – https://windpowerlab.com Weather Guard Lightning Tech – www.weatherguardwind.com Intelstor – https://www.intelstor.com Sign up…

Can integrated photonic sensing make wind farms more efficient? PhotonFirst says yes. Are Modvian's wood turbine towers really more eco-friendly than some existing manufacturing methods? Vestas and other investors think so. Rosemary and Allen discuss sustainable designs and new recycling technology. Rosemary wants more information on Vestas' announ…

February is notorious for wintry and icy weather in the Northern Hemisphere. Joel and Allen discuss the recent blast of ice in Texas, the problems for blades damaged by ice, and how technicians battle their cold and wet nemesis. Visit Pardalote Consulting at https://www.pardaloteconsulting.comWind Power Lab - https://windpowerlab.comWeather Guard L…

This week we discuss new technology, jobs, and some interesting business developments. Aerones' latest modular robot is 5x faster than humans,repairing up to Level 3 LEE damage and halting progression of up to Level 5 erosion. Then we leap from Latvia to Kentucky, where Nucor's new factory is making Elcyon, "creating the first domestic supply chain…

Wind Turbine Technicians are in short supply. A recent report on the US states with mechanically-inclined workers provides insights into where to find future technicians. Joel, Rosemary and Allen discuss the report and the potential salaries for workers willing to move to the east and west coasts. Visit Pardalote Consulting at https://www.pardalote…

Why stop at 15MW when you can make 18MW turbines? That's a good question to ask Vestas. In the 150th Uptime podcast (wow!), Allen, Joel and Rosemary discuss the CEO's surprising announcement and the market demands, risks, and potentially sneaky corporate strategy behind the scenes. Also in this show, we consider how those 115M blades will hold up a…

Continuum is planning to build six wind turbine blade recycling centers across Europe. In the US, several companies are competing to recycle blades into construction materials. With recycling a viable option for blades made of standard epoxy resins, are new recyclable resins worth the effort? Joel, Rosemary and Allen discuss the options for blade r…

In case the US didn't know it was hitting a wall in wind development, some of its European friends are making that point more obvious of late. First, Orsted purchased PSEG's Ocean Wind 1 off the New Jersey coast. The company said the project could only continue with an optimized tax structure. But Allen notes the complicated patent dispute between …

Between volcanos, unexploded ordnance, and a flash of cash, we can say that the new year has really started with a bang. But seriously, folks - extreme weather may be getting more extreme. When the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano erupted last week, half of all the lightning in the world was concentrated there. That ash is now headed your way, whe…

If Vestas' HUGE 4th Quarter portends good news for OEMs - wind is a seller's market right now - what does it mean for smaller manufacturers, third-parties and consumers? Allen, Joel and Rosemary look a few months into the future. GE Healthcare is trading now; what can we expect this year, before the energy holdings, GE Vernova, spin off in 2024? Th…

Uptime sits down with Chris Cieslak of BladeBug to discuss the latest additions to their revolutionary crawling robot platform. Then, Greg Lorenz of DroneBase lays out the latest in world-wide wind turbine imagery and data management. BladeBug - https://www.bladebug.co.ukDroneBase - https://dronebase.com/industries/windVisit Pardalote Consulting at…

Joel and Allen discuss Japan's first commercial scale offshore operation. The 33 bottom-fixed Vestas V117-4.2 MW wind turbines, designed to power 150,000 homes, are locatedin an area of heavy lightning activity. (More on that later!) Some savvy new designs like an automated bolt tightener from IntoMachines and GustoMSC's new "Seahorse" trolley syst…

Should OEMs lease equipment? Philip Totaro says the better question is, when will they? The idea may be more attractive to OEMs than it first appears. Crane safety is always important, and new concepts in crane systems should be more efficient and economical, as well as safer. The Uptime crew discusses some of the new designs and RWE's recent inves…

Long-anticipated improvements in Fusion energy may or may not be the holy grail, but what's the significance? and when will we really know? While fusion is interesting to watch in the long term, service agreements are changing now. We have a lot of questions, like, does a 35-year service agreement make sense? Will these agreements be good or bad fo…

Allen and Rosemary discuss the California offshore auction that finished below expectations, and discuss the latest news from researchers on whale habitats. MIT engineers pursue microwave drilling to the earth's core for thermal energy sources, and a freak snow storm in NY creates a snow apocalypse with multiple upward lightning strikes to wind tur…

Vestas and TPI agree to blade manufacturing contracts. Will OEM's subcontract manufacturing of blades to lower risk and costs? Australia is planning for 100% renewable grids. What hurdles remain and what lessons can be learned? Tesla installs grid battery onshore near Dogger Bank offshore wind farm - Rosemary has questions...and an employee was ter…

Siemens' offshore wind CEO says failures to understand cost increases and to compensate for supply chain weaknesses threaten worldwide wind energy goals. Meanwhile, policies like the UK's taxing wind farms at a higher rate than fossil fuels producers have met with frustration, and regulators may make US offshore developers gun-shy. The team also ex…

Rosemary and Allen review the latest news from Dominion Energy's offshore negotiations with Virginia and the Siemens acquisition of SGRE. Low-cost offshore gravity foundations are installed France with great results - will they be the future in offshore? Allen is excited about a YouTube video from ArcVera on wake turbulence. Back at WindEnergy Hamb…

In this BONUS episode, Joel and Allen discuss blade pitch alignment with Lars Bendsen of AC883 and blade structural damage with Morten Handberg of Wind Power Lab. Pitch errors create power losses AND bearing damage. Lars explains how a simple laser alignment check can save operators big sums. Resident Blade Whisper Morten Handberg gives us the late…

Joel and Allen dig into Duke Energy dealing their renewables business for $4B, and Intelstor's Philip Totaro provides insight. Meanwhile, blade production ramps in the US with TPI signing a 10-year deal with GE to restart an Iowa plant. Louisiana and Texas are big winners in the future of offshore wind in the Gulf of Mexico. Plus, a special intervi…

Rosemary's back, and the full Uptime crew has a lively discussion about PPAs, wind's political problems, shipping challenges, and the future of QC for offshore blades. PLUS, if you'd like to double your retention rate for wind turbine techs, don't miss the 3S Lift interview.Earlier this month, New York's Arthur Kill Offshore Wind Terminal Project g…

After laying off 20% of its US onshore wind employees, there was no good news in Q3 reports from GE's renewables division. Wind executives are worried. Supply chain snags and warranty issues look like problems only BIG investments can fix. What can turn wind around, and how soon? Allen and Joel have some ideas. In a recent interview, we discussed t…

Joel has first impressions from the 2022 Sandia Blade Workshop, where engineers and manufacturers talked development, standards, and (just a little) about LCOE. The first California offshore wind auction is scheduled for December 6th. If you like risk, there's still time to get your bids in. BONUS: in a brief interview with Rope Robotics CEO Martin…

How big can onshore wind turbines get? If it seems like we ask this question every month, get used to it: Nordex says there's no limit. That leaves engineers asking, how do you transport a rotor with a 175m diameter? And will the sites themselves become factories? Speaking of manufacturing, Allen and Joel discuss what's behind Siemens and Airborne'…

What did we really learn at WindEnergy Hamburg? Joel and Allen offer more insight and perspective from the show and say the US has a lot to learn from its European wind counterparts. But with those challenges, they see major opportunities as well. What can US companies learn about structuring operations, providing solutions, and other things? Of co…

We had a great time at WindEnergy Hamburg 2022 last week; more on that later. In this episode we discuss compelling, but conflicting, new research showing how wind turbines heat OR cool the earth. Scottish company Edge Solutions and US-based Rope Partner created a leading edge protection shield that's gotten high marks in European installations and…

While GE just lost the latest round in the patent lawsuit saga with Siemens Gamesa, an appeal is already in the works. We discuss how the process (and politics) will affect wind energy innovation, development, and production. Speaking of innovation, T-Omega's floating wind turbines have a very unusual design, more like a ferris wheel than an iceber…

PGE's Biglow Canyon wind farm isn't aging well. Is it due to poor maintenance or faulty equipment? PGE isn't convinced that every bolt failure meets the state's reporting threshold, but a "blade liberation" in January got widespread attention. Some complain that the Inflation Reduction Act does little for climate change - but is it enough to be a c…

When companies lose money they often fire their CEOs, but is that what happened at Snowy Hydro? Rosemary says politics and pet projects probably had something to do with it. Dominion's CVOW project is the first (and only, so far) to be "paid for by customers of a monopoly who have no choice in their electric supplier." Those customers want assuranc…

As wind turbines have gotten bigger, turbulence has become a bigger problem. It's always affected production, so why are we just now talking about it now? If we can figure out how to make wake steering work across entire wind operations, will productivity gains be big enough to make owners take a chance on it? Warranties and insurance coverage usua…

Engineers at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have created a solvent that has improved CO2 capture efficiency from 90% to nearly 100%. That changes the math for thermal fuel combustion and creates major implications for the energy transition. How and where will the solvent be used? And how soon will it really be ready to use? We have questions. Patent i…

US residents in the Midwest benefit financially from onshore wind farms - so will coastal residents see additional income from offshore development? The insurance risks and Virginia's plan to protect taxpayers are just two of "many firsts" for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project. Dominion Energy is being asked for performance guarantees. How…

Germany's RWE is building the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm in the North Sea, which will be powered by floating solar. The pilot is intended to jumpstart commercialization, which should begin in 2023. Is this a good idea, and if so, where does it make sense? How fossil fuels will continue to be integrated into renewable energy is a st…

Will the Machin-Schumer bill really change the energy landscape? Tax incentives definitely drive new installations. Speaking of changing the landscape, rare-earth metals do that, in a bad way. We discuss new technology, designs, materials and costs that are wound up in the "rare-Earth free generator." Should we mine faults in the seabed floor for m…

It may get a lot tougher to insure wind projects in the near future, and an increase in the number and severity of lightning strikes is one of the main reasons why. And Morton Handberg, Chief Blade Specialist at Wind Power Lab, says nearly 100% of blades have some “production deviations.” Who should bear the cost of those (and other) liability issu…

"Scaling wind energy ...and automating operations" are important, and those are two things Future Positive Capital wants to see happen after its $9M investment in Aerones. There's more to the explanation worth discussing, so Allen, Rosemary and Joel dive in. They also take a deep dive into the Wind-to-Methanol fray, where there's a lot of discord, …

In Massachusetts, Vineyard Wind crews discovered an unexploded WWII-era ordinance on the ocean floor. (History buffs rejoice: more finds are sure to follow.) MISO (Mid-continent Independent System Operator) plans to establish $10B worth of much-needed new transmission lines in the middle of North America. And with the Nord Stream 1 pipeline current…

Nordex has closed its Rostock plant in Germany and is moving all blade manufacturing to India. Vestas' sales are down – way down - and Allen thinks flagging US onshore development is part of the reason. Meanwhile, offshore construction may soon get a new assist: the Bleutec BMIS (Binary Marine Installation Solution) is a Jones Act-compliant concept…

The SG 14-222DD is headed to Scotland for its first deployment, first power in 2024. A German engineer envisions 250 meter-tall turbine lattice wind towers; is lattice worth revisiting? Some SPRIN-D designers think so. Meanwhile, Japan has installed its first offshore wind turbines. The country plans to deploy 10 GW of offshore wind capacity by 203…

Rosemary interviews two wind experts, and you're guaranteed to learn from both of them: Jessica O'Connor from ArcVera Renewables describes how wakes from large rotors cause a significant energy loss. Stability is the key - and the amount of loss is stunning. Then Brian Hill from Bachmann Electronics discusses turbine automation, focusing on North A…

Is it just us or does this show feel more info-packed than usual? The US may or may not see blackouts this summer, and either way, Australia could be the place to look for answers. Rosemary explains why rooftop solar is cheaper Down Under than it is in the States, and describes some chemical-free battery storage options. Joel says we need to stop c…