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Improved Wind Stations Profits Through Excellence in O&M

William F. Manganaro

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How?

• Operate and maintain a wind generation station – aka “Wind farm” as a power plant

• Multi-100s dollar investment• Challenge: immature state of the industry

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Thermal vs. Wind Generation• Prime Movers – number and complexity• Technology improvements• Life• Investment strategies• Maintenance plans• Accessibility• Dispatch and manning

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Risks in Wind Generation

• Rapid evolution / short model runs• Changing investment strategies• Changing grid conditions• Significant dependence on a single provider

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Apparent Attitude with Wind

• Just maintain it• Less oversight• Cost, cost, cost• The “farm”

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Power Station Management

The fundamentals are unchanged:• Operate safely• Plan• Comply with the plan• Require performance

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Different Priorities• Owners’ Priorities:

– Maximize availability– Maximize revenue– ID and resolve warranty

issues– Build material history

(understand WTG conditions)– Achieve short AND long-term

performance– Good business relations– Competitively source parts

and labor services

• OEM Priorities:– Perform contracted work at

minimum cost– Expend no more $ than

necessary– Achieve availability required by

contract– Win follow-on S&M contract– If not won, maximize future

revenue by:• Retain material history• Retain SCADA data• Sole source of parts

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Methods - Tools

Excellent continuous operations:• Small plant staff• Annual O&M plan• Computerized Maintenance Management

System

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Subjective Value Added

• Plant staff knows its equipment• Early identification of material problems• Assist owner with negotiations to resolve

issues

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End of Warranty Inspections

• Why? • Options:– OEM’s report– Pre-EoW single inspection– On-going inspection and trending

• Cost?

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EoW Inspections (con’t)

• When to perform single inspection?• Components covered: (long list)• Continuous/periodic inspection & trending:– Annual or bi-annual– Graph results– CMMS use– “Mining” the SCADA

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Conclusion• Applying proven electrical generating station

management principles optimizes income and preserves asset value.

• Cost is a small staff.• Gains are from improved availability and smoother

transitions: warranty to S&M, OEM S&M to post OEM• Creates options for the owner

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Questions?