Safety and Innovation Highlight the CanWEA O&M Summit

Feb 5, 2020

Wind energy operations and maintenance (O&M) leaders from across Canada and the U.S. wrapped up Canada’s largest wind energy O&M event last month. The two-day Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) O&M Summit, held January 29 and 30 at the Hilton, Mississauga, attracted more than 300 wind energy professionals for a solutions-focused program that addressed both the global and regional issues facing this rapidly growing sector.

A critical meeting ground for wind energy stakeholders, the CanWEA O&M Summit highlighted in-depth expertise and actionable solutions, alongside an exhibition featuring 20 leading companies in the sector. Industry professionals kicked off the Summit with a look at what it takes to drive growth in the wind energy industry, while a handpicked panel of innovators provided insight into the reality of developing new wind energy solutions in Canada. Over 40 speakers provided cutting-edge technological insights and led interactive knowledge-sharing discussions on a range of topics, including cyber security, end of financed life, use of multiple technologies, advanced inspections, climate change and the future of wind energy in Canada and around the world. Health and safety were integrated throughout the two days, culminating in a special session on the development of robust health and safety programs.

The industry also celebrated achievements in health and safety and innovation at the O&M Awards breakfast. ENERCON was recognized with the Outstanding Achievement Award for significantly contributing to innovation in wind power facility operations and maintenance. Its newly-implemented suite of advances is lengthy, but one stands out the most. With over 960 wind turbines in Canada, the technical experts in Montreal have implemented a “data lake” to contain all the information streaming in on a continuous basis. Using this data, ENERCON has been able to propose life-extension and reliability actions case by case without becoming overwhelmed by the sheer size of the data. Beyond this, additional data points have been identified for collection, intensive validation efforts executed, and advanced algorithms designed and implemented. This has led to fault prevention, reduced workload for technicians, and avoidance of major component reworking.

The Health and Safety Excellence Award was presented to Siemens Gamesa for its progressive approach to its health & safety program. Siemens Gamesa has developed a workflow tool and repository for “stop work” events where technicians can proactively identify procedural issues, possible training gaps, technical issues with safety implications or other types of risk. The wide-reaching and immediate actions that have been accomplished through the tool are impressive, making safety a priority for every department and level of the organization. It simply and effectively puts safety at the core of the business.