Five-year relationship sees 850+ turbines employing ecoCMS hardware and fleetMONITOR software to cut costs for Clearway’s wind fleet, with more to follow
Nottingham, 13th October 2021 – Clearway Energy Group, a prominent US renewables developer and owner-operator, and ONYX Insight, a leading provider of predictive data analytics and engineering expertise to the global wind industry, have marked the fifth year of their partnership by announcing that an additional 132 turbines will incorporate ONYX Insight’s software analysis in the second half of 2021. The agreement pushes total monitored assets from 850+ to over one thousand.
Large-scale owner-operators typically run diverse wind fleets, requiring a nuanced approach to monitoring and data analytics. As the US wind sector prepares for a potential boom following Biden’s support for green energy, ensuring assets both new and old are run efficiently is key to driving down production costs. Keeping a close eye on turbine health is therefore central to transforming profitability.
ONYX Insight and Clearway have an ongoing Software as a Service (SaaS) deal, in place since 2017, which has now expanded to reach over 2GW of capacity. ONYX’s fleetMONITOR software has been used by Clearway to analyse assets using four condition monitoring systems (CMS), over five different turbine OEMs, highlighting the importance of dedicated hardware agnostic platforms for mixed fleets.
A key element of the partnership has been driven by Clearway, upgrading its legacy CMS systems to create data-rich assets to unlock enhanced analysis. Almost 75% of Clearway’s fleet now uses ONYX Insight’s ecoCMS. As part of the deal, ONYX Insight has provided training to upskill Clearway’s in-house teams, freeing up engineering resource, while providing AI driven data analytics consultancy to deliver greater cost savings from non-drivetrain components such as pitch bearings and generator wye rings.
Dr. Zhiwei Zhang, VP of Engineering, ONYX Insight, said: “The increased complexity of monitoring large wind portfolios demands sophisticated digital tools. Clearway has consolidated its system health data in a single tool, across the entire fleet, regardless of turbine type, condition monitoring system manufacturer, or data output. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Clearway to improve the cost-efficiency of its assets and support its ambitions to lead the clean energy transition in the US.”
Brian LaMay, General Manager – Engineering and Infrastructure, Clearway Energy Group, added: “Wind energy is a key component of the US energy mix. As the sector grows, remaining cost competitive is essential to ensure that US customers benefit from affordable, clean energy. ONYX Insight has demonstrated a deep understanding of how to optimize a modern wind fleet, and we will continue to build on our collaboration with the business.”
About Clearway Energy Group:
Clearway Energy Group is leading the transition to a world powered by clean energy. Along with their public affiliate Clearway Energy, Inc., they own and operate over 7.5 gigawatts of renewable and conventional energy assets across the US.
As they develop a nationwide pipeline of new renewable energy projects for the future, Clearway’s more than 5 gigawatts of wind, solar, and energy storage assets offset the equivalent of nearly 8.8 million metric tons of carbon emissions for their customers today.
Clearway Energy Group is headquartered in San Francisco, CA with offices in Carlsbad, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Houston, TX; and Princeton, NJ.
For more information, visit www.clearwayenergygroup.com
About ONYX Insight:
ONYX Insight provides software, services, advanced sensing and data analytics for gearboxes, drivetrains, bearings and rotating machinery with the global reach and know-how of bp.
The company’s products and services deliver increased production and reduced operations and maintenance costs through smart and unbiased predictive analytics underpinned by real-world engineering expertise for wind energy industry and beyond.
In 2021, ONYX Insight won two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise – the highest official UK awards for British companies – in the categories of Innovation and International Trade. The company also received official certification as a Great Place to Work® UK.
For more information about ONYX Insight, visit: www.onyxinsight.com
