Glennmont Partners from Nuveen is working with Clir Renewables to identify wind turbine underperformance, investigate solutions for improvement with project partners and validate subsequent increases in operational output.
Clir’s technology has already been deployed on a number of onshore wind projects for the fund. As part of this collaboration, Glennmont requested Clir investigate seasonal underperformance, which they first detected during an analysis of the project’s SCADA data. Clir’s in-depth analysis confirmed Glennmont’s initial findings and outlined instances of underperformance which were likely related to software changes implemented by the wind turbine original equipment manufacturer (OEM).
Clir, Glennmont and the OEM ascertained the best solution by adding extra vortex generators. Following the implementation of the additional vortex generators, which Clir later validated, the upgrades demonstrated a 2.9% increase in project annual energy production (AEP). Working with Glennmont and its asset managers, Clir will monitor, optimize and report on asset performance.
By using machine learning to analyze multiple data streams, including near real-time and historical SCADA data from the turbine and grid, alongside geospatial and weather records, Clir is able to pinpoint whether underperformance is due to low resource, environmental interference or fixable technical errors. This insight can then be used to inform operations, model future revenue, and identify opportunities to negotiate existing terms on debt financing or insurance based on forecasts backed up by real project data.
“Having an opportunity to work with a firm like Glennmont is a great endorsement of the real and discernible return on investment that we can bring to investor portfolios,” says David O’Hare, director of Europe for Clir. “In our initial program of work, we were able to determine the root cause of underperformance, which, alongside Glennmont’s proactive approach to asset management, meant that we could work with all project stakeholders to rapidly deliver a significant improvement in turbine power production.”
“At Glennmont, we are proud of our reputation and track record as a leading clean technology investor and asset manager,” explains Geoff Hoffheinz, chief engineer for Glennmont. “In delivering sustainable and predictable returns to our investor partners, we focus on the best decision making driven by class leading data. Partnering with Clir takes our data understanding to another level and enables us to proactively manage our projects for maximum returns.”
