Operations and Maintenance

For more than 15 years the Unit Wind Energy is developing methods and tools to optimise the operations and maintenance (O&M) of wind farms. Since 2000, the focus is on lowering the O&M costs for offshore wind farms. The unit in fact is one of the few institutes carrying out long term R&D on this topic. The scope of work comprises

• the development of models and software (Decision Support Tools) to analyse the O&M aspects, to determine costs and downtime, identify cost drivers, and to optimise the O&M strategy;
• and the development of diagnostics and measurement techniques for those situations where condition based maintenance is preferred instead of preventive or corrective maintenance. 

ECN’s leading role in the field of O&M for offshore wind farms has been recognised for many years. Major project developers make use of ECN’s knowledge and models to develop O&M strategies for their offshore wind farms. Turbine designers apply the knowledge in the design process of offshore wind turbines.