We share some of the wind energy trends we saw at play during the show, and others – like repowering – that were prevalent in many discussions at WindEnergy Hamburg 2022.
Fresh from the Wind Energy Hamburg’s global on- and offshore event, we had a great time with extremely knowledgeable people, including Lars Bendsen from AC883 Nordic Trade Services, Martin Huus Bjerge of Rope Robotics, Matthew Stead of Ping Services, Chris Cieslak of BladeBUG and more.
➡️ Check the podcast as some interviews have dropped and more are on the way. ⬅️
Wind Energy Hamburg Trends: Actionable Metrics, More Techs Needed
It was clear that wind turbine maintenance and repair issues are top of mind throughout the industry and around the world. A lack of clear maintenance standards and a shortage of wind techs were common complaints – ones most show attendees couldn’t do much about.
What we could make progress on, we did: we talked with a lot of owners and manufacturers about data overload, and most agreed that making metrics more actionable for owners and operators is critical to keeping turbines as productive as possible.
With a shortage of wind techs, still-shrinking margins, and new questions about proposed projects (and approved-but-stalled projects), owners need to be able to prioritize turbine and blade maintenance and repair activities to maximize their investment and extend the life of equipment.
What about Repowering Existing Wind Farms?
Although the term “repowering” didn’t come up a lot in our conversations at WindEnergy Hamburg, it clearly remains a trend enabling owners to stretch budgets and improve wind energy production. Previous podcast episodes focused on repowering old wind farms include this interview with Josh Rangel of Rangel Renewables, and several others from the past year, including discussions about power vortex generators and power curve upgrades.
➡️ We’ll continue to discuss repowering in future podcasts. ⬅️
Wind Industry Experts Sharing, Collaborating with Owners and Operators
While well-attended Wind industry shows like this one in Hamburg are exhausting, they are vital to bringing improvements to the industry, quickly. We were excited to see many collaborations obviously well underway, especially in blade maintenance and repair innovations. Of course we are most directly involved in those related to lightning protection of wind turbine blades, and we are glad to see the industry gaining a deeper appreciation for how lightning affects wind turbine blades, on- and offshore. As noted above, we hear loud and clear the need for blade lightning protection to be relatively fast and easy to install, on new blades as well as those currently in service.
More Wind Energy News and Insights from Hamburg, and beyond
Looking back at our 2021-2022 wind energy trends article, we were right about several, including more revitalizations of onshore wind farms, improved efficiencies as robots and humans work together, and that wind continues to see increased attention from the insurance industry. Our favorite: the level of collaboration and cooperation has never been better.
With so many great minds working on common problems – and working together to create affordable solutions for lightning protection, to improve wind turbine efficiency, and extend blade lifetimes – the future looks good.
Header image: Allen interviews Wind Power Lab’s Morten Handberg at WindEnergy Hamburg 2022. See all the shows here.
