- Category: Articles

Icing of wind turbines is a major problem in their operation, as it leads to massive yield losses and wear and tear and endangers people in the vicinity. De-icing using helicopters or industrial climbers is extremely time-consuming. Turbine operators who want to protect their wind turbines from icing have had to dig deep into their pockets – heating mats or systems that can be integrated into the blades, systems that pump warm air into the rotors, or the use of lifting helicopters that spray de-icing agents are all associated with high costs. Drones, only used when necessary, offer an inexpensive alternative.
By Andreas Stake and Oliver Tiedje, Fraunhofer, Germany
- Category: Articles
How Can Ecological Modelling Support the Sustainable Development of Offshore Wind?

By Frank Thomsen, Lars O. Mortensen, Naomi A.M. Tuhuteru, Jonas B. Mortensen, DHI, Denmark
- Category: Articles

State and federal policies have incentivised offshore wind developers to think locally for their workforce and supply chain. New manufacturing facilities, installation ports, and projects will create a demand for local workforces, both in the general trades, the unions, and specialised job roles specific to offshore wind. This article discusses why early strategic planning is critical for training a new industrial workforce in alignment with the pace of market demand.
By Nick Zenkin, Lead Offshore Wind Consultant, Xodus Group, USA
- Category: Articles

The MX-System from Beckhoff is a flexible, space-optimised system solution that can replace conventional control cabinets, thereby opening up new possibilities in wind turbine automation. As a modular control cabinet replacement that can also be decentralised inside the wind turbine if required, the MX-System saves engineering, assembly, installation, and maintenance effort. This enables highly efficient processes for the manufacturers and operators of wind turbines – from the planning, set-up and installation of the MX-System through to the maintenance of MX-System-equipped turbines.
By Andreas Franke, Business Manager Wind Energy, Beckhoff Automation, Germany
- Category: Articles

‘What is their problem, really?’ This question has been voiced by developers and operators of wind power, as it relates to citizens who complain of annoyance from wind turbines. ‘After all, most people are not annoyed, and they recognise how important development of wind resources is to combat climate change,’ we hear. Sometimes, the statement is more forceful: ‘most normal people are not annoyed,’ implying somewhat harshly that there may be something abnormal with those annoyed. When one makes a conscientious effort to communicate with people expressing annoyance, one finds they are neither malcontents nor oblivious to climate change concerns. Yet, one hears them express words such as, ‘I just haven’t been able to stand it in my home since the wind turbines were installed.’ For those impacted, annoyance is not merely a temporary unpleasant phenomenon but a condition that adversely impacts their life and health.
By William K.G. Palmer, Independent Researcher, Canada
- Category: Articles

Exploring the various methods to reduce wind turbine sound emissions, this article delves into directional noise-reduced operations (NROs). Drawing from real-world project measurements, it examines the adaptability and efficiency of NROs, especially in challenging siting situations.
By Isaac Old, Senior Consultant, RSG, and Timothy Carson, Acoustic Engineer, RWE, USA
- Category: Articles

Wind energy is a major renewable source, but its anticipated threefold increase by 2050 will pose severe environmental and economic challenges for wind energy companies regarding the lack of feasible recyclability of wind blade advanced composite materials. The circular economy approach aims to create value from wind turbine waste by transforming it into new products, but it requires cost-effective and efficient technologies. Although several recycling strategies have been proposed, they have drawbacks in terms of energy, quality or secondary markets. The microwave-assisted technology under development by the CIRCE Technology Centre proposes an electromagnetic-induced selective heating of complex wind blade waste to recover glass/carbon fibres and produce further added-value chemical building blocks from resins that aim to suit petrochemical industry production loops. Microwave degradation shows lower energy input and higher yield than conventional methods. Moreover, it can enable the self-consumption of energy from the wind turbine in its own recycling process, enhancing the sustainability and profitability of the system.
By Alejandro Fresneda and Ignacio Julián, CIRCE, Spain
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