Orbital is specialized in supplying cost-efficient control systems for a wide range of older wind turbines. Recently Orbital supplied complete control systems and SCADA monitoring for older Danwin turbines in the US. The customer, WES Engineering, is a USA-based company, which has been active in the wind industry for the last 20 years. The long history in the wind industry and the experience of the current employees helped WES Engineering build a strong business and a network of suppliers.

Challenge

In 2019 WES Engineering became involved in a project with 13 Danwin, 160 kW turbines. The aim was to either repower or refurbish the turbines depending on what the optimal choice should be. WES Engineering researched different solutions. Overall, the turbines were in good condition, so the choice was made to go for refurbishment. Both from a financial and a sustainable perspective.

Solutions

WES Engineering began their search to find possible suppliers and the search led them to Europe where they initiated a dialogue with possible suppliers. Orbital stood out with an all-in-one control solution consisting of the TMC3 controller, accessories (wind vane, anemometer, etc.), OrbiSCADA and at a reasonable cost. Orbital’s solution also included the possibility to have a technician come to the USA to assist with the installation process. WES Engineering decided to use that option to speed up the installation phase.

Results

Orbital was instrumental in getting the wind turbines operational. Orbital helped adjust the parameters and get the first machine up and running and educated WES Engineering’s employees on how to plan, execute, and document the refurbishment work.

OrbiSCADA is part of the all-in-one solution from Orbital. The SCADA system was very beneficial during the installation and setup phase and will also be very helpful in the future. It is a convenient tool to stay up to date on how the turbines perform. It is fast and user-friendly. WES Engineering can log in from any smartphone or computer, saving a lot of time as it is no longer necessary to go to the site to figure out what might be the issue.'

WES Engineering https://www.wesengineering.com/