As more wind turbines are installed across the country every year, the demand for maintenance services that can keep these machines whirling is rising, too.
General Electric recently announced that a new agreement will allow it to perform maintenance services on 819 wind turbines that are a part of eight wind farms in four states. The agreement, which includes farms in Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Texas, is the company’s largest wind turbine maintenance agreement ever.
“GE is dedicated to maintaining high-performing wind farms and that commitment formed the basis for this new agreement,” said Steve Trenholm, chairman of E.ON Climate and Renewables North America. “Our companies share a strong culture of excellence and commitment to safety and innovation, which has made for a great long-term partnership between E.ON and GE.”
Andy Holt, general manager of wind services for GE’s renewable energy business, added that the group will use the latest software and technology to ensure the lifespan of the machines stays high.
However, considering maintenance costs can run at about $0.27 per kilowatt-hour produced, maintenance is still a costly aspect of wind turbine development, according to Renewable Energy World. One of the best ways to offset these high costs is to ensure all components in the structure are prepared to withstand the exact conditions in which they will be used.