RS Provides Comprehensive Support for the Wind Energy Industry

RS provides a wide range of product and service solutions optimized to help builders, operators, and maintainers in the wind energy industry improve safety, efficiency, and productivity and become more profitable.

The wind energy industry is at an inflection point. It is growing rapidly in size and scale and adopting new maintenance solutions and strategies engineered to improve productivity, efficiency, and reliability and reduce costs. The offshore wind energy segment in particular is experiencing significant growth. In 2021 alone, more than 21,000 megawatts of offshore wind power were installed and connected to the grid, marking the beginning of a growing global trend towards bigger wind farms and more powerful turbines. Today, offshore wind energy capacity stands at around 63,200 megawatts worldwide.

Much of the public focus on the wind energy industry is centered on growth stats like these. Within the industry, however, there’s an equal focus on the routine maintenance and repairs that these installations require. Due to the massive height of wind turbines and the hazardous environmental conditions that offshore turbines are subjected to, maintaining the growing global fleet of on- and offshore wind farms comes with myriad challenges. As such, operators and maintenance organizations in the offshore wind sector are increasingly looking to form trusted relationships with distribution partners that can offer carefully curated product ranges, speedy service, and new product innovations that make it easier for them to streamline their activities and become more profitable.

RS has responded to the needs of the rapidly evolving offshore wind sector by offering an expanded range of maintenance solutions and value-added services that make it easier for operators and maintainers to get the tools and equipment they need. As a global distributor with enormous buying power and operations in 31 countries around the world, RS can offer an extensive selection of relevant solutions at competitive prices and deliver them without delay.

Advanced maintenance solutions available at RS include condition monitoring and remote control solutions, such as sensors, PLCs, remote I/O modules, industrial routers, industrial PCs, industrial Ethernet switches, and wireless access points, that allow operators to remotely record, transmit, analyze, and leverage sensor data to identify — and potentially even rectify — electrical or mechanical issues before they damage equipment and cause unplanned downtime. As such, they also reduce on-site inspection requirements and can help maintenance technicians better prepare for on-site repairs, which can significantly improve on-the-job safety and efficiency and reduce the amount of time that they must spend at height and in hazardous environments.

Product solutions optimized for use in harsh industrial environments like wind farms include robust ifm Efector IP67 temperature sensors; inductive proximity sensors from Turck and Balluff, which respectively offer ruggedized form factors with a wide sensing range and quick-commissioning, non-contact functionality with an adjustable linearity range; secure, high-performance safety controllers from Schneider Electric; compact, powerful, and user-friendly safety PLCs from ABB; and intelligent, adaptable, and IP-rated PLCs from Phoenix Contact.

Additional solutions include reliable remote I/O modules from Phoenix Contact and Moxa, plug-and-play FL Switch 1000 Series unmanaged Industrial Ethernet switches from Phoenix Contact, and Moxa’s secure EDR-10 industrial routers, rugged MC-1100 industrial PCs, and high-speed, industrial AWK-3131A Series wireless LAN access points (pictured left to right below).

Essential maintenance solutions available at RS include hand tools and hardware, facility cleaning and maintenance supplies, safety and personal protective equipment (PPE), multimeters, lubricants, greases, and oils, and replacement parts like AC drives, which — without predictive maintenance capabilities enabled by advanced condition monitoring solutions — cause an average of eight-plus days of downtime when they fail.

Product solutions optimized for use in harsh industrial environments like wind farms include Fluke’s ruggedized and extremely accurate 87V MAX True-rms Digital Multimeters, which feature an IP67-rated, industrial-strength case with a removable holster that doubles as a test probe holder for easier one-handed operation, a backlit display for easy visibility in low-light environments, an extended battery life of up to 800 hours, and premium TL175 TwistGuard test leads with adjustable length test tips and WearGuard lead wire wear indicators for added safety.

They also reliably withstand drops of up to four meters and temperatures extending from -40°C to +55°C. Other essential on-site maintenance solutions ideal for wind turbines include lubrication solutions such as Klüber Lubrication's Klübersynth’s GEM 4 N synthetic high-performance gear and multipurpose oil, which is engineered to satisfy the evolving requirements and increasing power density of modern gears, and its Klüberplex BEM 41-132 long-lasting, high-temperature grease, which is equipped with special additives that provide robust resistance to oxidation and protect against wear and corrosion.

The RS commitment to fulfilling the needs of the wind energy industry is multifaceted and extends far beyond its extensive portfolio of proven products optimized for builders, operators, and maintainers. In recognition of the need for strategic partners to help drive momentum forward, RS also offers a suite of value-added service solutions that help these customers navigate the complexities of the industry, leverage opportunities, and overcome challenges throughout the design, build, and maintenance phases.

In addition, RS partners with forward-thinking industry organizations, like the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership, participates in trade events, and supports education providers dedicated to cultivating skills and fostering innovation in millions of young people — many of whom will fill roles essential to the continued evolution of the sustainable energy industry, as well as the greater STEM industry, in the future.

For more information about the RS portfolio of maintenance solutions for alternative energy applications, including offshore wind farms, as well as expert insights into and advice about alternative energy and sustainability, please check out the new “Maintaining the Growing Global Investment in Offshore Wind Energy” RS Expert Advice article.

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