Proper and effective operation and maintenance (O&M) management of wind energy is crucial to the energy yield of the wind farm. Lowering the cost of O&M is becoming more of a challenge and at the same time, a necessity for the modern and competitive wind energy market. Daniel Perkowski, CEO at Wind Audit sp. z o.o., Szczecin, Poland shares his ideas with PES on how to achieve this.
A wind turbine, as any complex high-tech device, should be adequately maintained in order to do its work safely and with maximum efficiency. Some good practices in maintenance management can reduce the overall cost of the O&M, meaning less lost energy production and to ensure that a wind power plant is in tip top technical condition.
Regular preventive maintenance
The regular service of wind turbines is the primary preventive thing to do. It is performed once or twice a year, depending on the manufacturer and type of wind power generator. During preventive maintenance services, there are things done, in accordance with maintenance service checklist. These include: hydraulic filters replacement, pressure measurement, battery exchange, electrical measurement and so on. As a result, the wind turbine is maintained at an appropriate level, which may or not be confirmed by an independent technical inspection.
