All articles by Ky Nikitha
Ky Nikitha
The oncoming storm
As chief technology officer at Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Antonio de la Torre is leading the company’s digital transformation, and research and development strategy. He talks to Tim Gunn about the advances changing the face of the wind industry, the digital innovation under way at Siemens Gamesa and the challenges of staying cutting edge.
Out of the blue
A recent report has demonstrated that $8.5 billion is spent annually on unplanned repairs to onshore components. Laura Gray explores the factors that can lead to unexpected failures in both the onshore and offshore sectors, and the methods, such as the use of digital technologies, which can be employed to mitigate these occurrences.
The trouble with transport
The logistical effort involved in transporting items with the size and complexity of wind turbines is vast, involving specialised vehicles, equipment and technicians. This is compounded in a country as big as the US, where onshore turbines have to travel significant distances through varied and challenging terrain, and across state lines. Grace Allen hears about these challenges from Michele Mihelic, senior director of asset management and standards development at the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).
Not in my backyard
Wind farms are lauded by environmentalists as clean, reliable sources of electricity. Many local communities, however, would rather the turbines be sited as far away from their homes as possible. Michael Shaw talks to Dr Jacob Ladenburg, a senior researcher at the Rockwool Foundation, and Dr Sandra Sulsky, a consultant epidemiologist with the Ramboll Group, about the fractious relationship that can develop between those who install wind turbines and the people who live nearby.
Floating in the wind
Floating wind projects are under development around the world, opening up opportunities for wind power in areas of deep water. Will Moffitt talks to Stephen Bull, Equinor’s senior vice-president for wind and low-carbon development, and Marc Costa, director of the Renewables Consulting Group, about the potential it offers in the global shift to renewable energy.
Deep trouble
Subsea cables are vital to the offshore industry, but can be vulnerable to damage, with a high proportion of financial losses caused by cable issues. Emily Moore talks to Ivan Savitsky of the Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator about the causes of cable failure – including third-party incidents and installation error – and the ways these risks can be managed.
Take the power back
While Germany is a world leader in the generation of wind power, consumption of that electricity is lagging thanks to deficiencies in its national grid. As additional lines are built to cope with rising demand, scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have written a new AI program called PrognoNetz that will optimise the country’s national grid as it currently stands. Greg Noone talks to Gabriela Molinar, one of the project leads, about how the software will allow transmission system operators to make crucial decisions about power allocation without compromising Germany’s wind power revolution.
Turns and conditions
The growth of the internet of things (IoT) has the potential to offer significant advantages to offshore wind maintenance, with sensors able to provide constant data on the functioning of a turbine. César Yanes, project coordinator of the ROMEO Project, discusses the use of IoT to move from corrective to condition-based maintenance with Kerry Taylor-Smith.
Death from above
The coming onslaught of higher temperatures and extreme weather promised by climate change necessitates our increasing reliance on wind power and other forms of renewable energy. Nevertheless, the turbines sprouting on our hills and valleys can have their own catastrophic effects on local bird and bat populations. Greg Noone talks to Dr Taber Allison, director of research and evaluation at the American Wind Wildlife Institute, about the scale of the problem and what measures are being taken for its mitigation.
Strike back
Lightning strikes can cause huge damage to offshore turbines, particularly to blades, and are also a key safety concern for crews. Abi Millar discusses the dangers turbines face from lightning, and considers the key methods and technologies used to predict and monitor this threat with Dr Vidyadhar Peesapati of the University of Manchester.