ONSHORE OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE FEATURE SPONSOR
OPERATIONAL PLANNING To assist operators in planning their operations and maintenance, we’ve launched an enhanced version of VisualEyes – a product developed in-conjunction with the wind energy industry. The web-based monitoring and alert system helps manage conditions for onshore windfarms and informs management of the most efficient and optimum maintenance schedules.
Used by many of the major utilities companies and the largest windfarm in the UK (Whitelee Windfarm), it shows weather forecasts in a map view for up to five days ahead. The system is even used by the National Grid to help it establish how much energy will be produced in the short-term to make relevant planning decisions.
SITE SPECIFIC CHARTS
In addition to the five day forecasts, the system also provides customisable, probabilistic planning charts for up to 14 days ahead, these detailed site specific charts show a range of weather elements including surface wind speed, temperature, rainfall, snow and lightning strikes.
This comprehensive information means windfarm operators can potentially reduce maintenance costs significantly whilst, most importantly, offering health and safety benefits in terms of safeguarding staff and contractors, mitigating against the stranding of staff or equipment.
PRACTICAL APPROACH TO SAFETY For exmple, on remote sites, personnel generally work in small groups – often pairs. Under these conditions, the most practical approach to safety is for workers to apply their own safety precautions as part of their working package – essentially putting the onus on site engineers to make the critical decisions about their own health and safety relating to the prevailing weather conditions.
Events they need to be aware of include: lightning, high wind, the risk of being snowed-in, fog or cloud leading to poor visibility, prolonged periods of rainfall and prolonged exposure to cold weather.
DEVICE RESPONSIVE
VisualEyes is device responsive, meaning personnel can access the system from mobile devices and stay informed during changing weather conditions. This, together with the push alerts, can be a vital warning system for those on site. As well as sending email alerts, we recognise that sites are often in remote locations in areas with little or no 3G (or data) availability, so alerts can also be sent in text format.
SUMMARY
The push to operate as efficiently as possible, maximising revenues, plus the need to beat deadlines for project completion, is leading to challenges, including increased exposure to extreme weather conditions. Whilst this is unlikely to change, we can help the industry be as informed as possible about hazardous weather to stay safe.
Graham Ford
Head of Renewable Energy services Met Office
Click to view more info VisualEyes is a trademark
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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