The February 2012 issue of Renewable Energy Technology magazine features an SGS article entitled “Ensuring Reliable Operations of Wind Turbines,” written by Olaf Robenek and Nils Dreischerf, wind turbine inspectors from SGS. The article explains the significance of regular in-service inspections conducted by a reliable third-party company, to minimize the risks of costly downtime and repair periods and to ensure successful functioning of a wind farm. —
Renewable Energy Technology, issued by Cavendish Group, is a monthly magazine aimed at senior professionals in emerging markets of renewable energy industries. The February 2012 edition of the magazine features an article by Olaf Robenek and Nils Dreischerf, wind turbine inspectors from SGS, entitled “Ensuring Reliable Operations of Wind Turbines.”
In the article, SGS’s experts explore the necessity of regular in-service inspections for wind farm projects conducted by an experienced third-party company. In-service inspections are the most effective method for ensuring the successful performance of a wind farm, since they can detect the imminent failure of a wind turbine’s critical components at an early stage, thus minimizing the risk of costly repair periods. With regular in-service inspections, the downtime of a wind turbine can be considerably reduced, which in turn facilitates the profitable operation of a wind farm with sustainable operational costs and the anticipated return on investment.
With an increasing number of installed wind turbines and the potential for major failure of critical components, the necessity of in-service inspections should not be underestimated. However, in-service inspections only represent a value-added service to the customer when they are conducted by a reliable third-party company. The advantages of hiring an independent inspection, verification, testing and certification company not only derives from the dedication applied by its skilled personnel, but also from its economic independence from the stakeholders.
SGS Renewable Energy
Rödingsmarkt 16
20459 Hamburg
Germany
website: www.sgs.com/wind
Email: industrial.pr@sgs.com
