In order to successfully master the diverse tasks associated with the technical management of a wind farm, all the factors involved have to be perfectly coordinated. The overriding maxim is: time is money. A turbine that stands still cannot generate any electricity and receives no remuneration. Optimum coordination and fast troubleshooting is one thing – but by far the greater challenge lies in the point how the revenues of a wind farm can be increased.
The question of how to increase revenues will be explored in greater depth in this issue. From a technical point of view, one essential aspect relates to the high technical availability of wind turbines. Within the wpd fleet, this figure stood at a very good 98.1% last year. On the one hand, this shows the significance of windmanagers’ „24/7“ control room (manned around the clock, seven days a week) with its short response times and extensive monitoring capability. On the other, the turbines themselves supply a lot of information which is automatically registered in a complex data control system and evaluated accordingly in order to spot possible improvements in turbine performance in good time.
There is also an option to use special technology to check certain parameters in conspicuous turbines for a limited period of time. For example, performance indicators can be monitored or errors in the azimuth positions identified. By making the relevant corrections to the turbine, the revenue side can be improved.
Since January 1, 2012, in Germany Operators have been able to sell their electricity generated from renewable energy directly on the power exchange through the so-called market premium model. Although windmanagers do not sell the power themselves on the Leipzig power exchange, they create the technical and contractual conditions to enable power dealers to do so on their behalf. Particularly precise forecasts are required in order to obtain the best possible price for renewable power on the power market. This requires a higher degree of technical complexity in the turbines and in the control room. In return, wind farm operators receive a management fee which can vary considerably depending on their negotiating skill and the size of the portfolio. This also means that operators who have the backing of reliable forecasts, can generate additional income through the management fee.
Conclusion: Increasing the revenues for wind farms depends on many factors. wpd windmanager meet all the necessary conditions for doing so in full, starting with qualified staff and constant round-the-clock technical surveillance, via the ongoing search for optimisation potential all the way to proximity to and presence in the market.