Climate Chronicles SkySpecs

Collecting and monitoring analytics is one thing, but it’s what you do with all that data that really counts. 
In this episode of the Climate Chronicles podcast, i4SEE’s CEO Christopher Gray and Richard Distl, COO, explore the world of turbine analytics and how they turn data into results.  
Christopher and Richard pull insights from their vast experience in the wind industry and explore ways that data could help to improve processes and save time and resources.  
Key Moments: 
Turning good ideas into actionable business processes The biggest industry challenges How to use AI to free up human resources What “minding the gap” means in data analytics Why we need more openness about data  Why innovation needs pragmatism 
Key Links: 
i4SEE: https://www.i4see.com/  Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-distl-0065a1264/ Connect with Christopher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-gray-76b3a616/  

There’s so much more to turbine condition monitoring than vibration measurements. As wind turbine design and monitoring technology evolves, the potential to collect more data to predict faults is increasing.  
To discuss the extent of condition monitoring of wind turbines in today’s industry, we welcomed Michael Stone, Senior Manager of Reliability Engineering at RWE Clean Energy, to the podcast. 
We discuss Michael’s career, his thoughts on failure detection, how technology can help solve some of the issues in the industry, and the challenges of maintenance. 
Key Moments: 
How the wind industry differs from oil and gas The top drivers of value in failure detection When early detection doesn’t always make sense The problem with bigger wind turbines Technology that could solve some of the maintenance gaps in the industry The biggest disconnects in the industry How prescriptive vs. predictive maintenance differs Why the industry doesn’t properly understand loading issues Challenges in the wind industry  
Key Links:  
SkySpecs: https://skyspecs.com/  RWE Clean Energy: https://www.rwe.com/en/the-group/rwe-clean-energy/  Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelestone/ 

What role do utility companies have to play in the renewable energy industry?  
In this episode of Climate Chronicles, we invited Chuck Conlen, VP of Renewable Energy at DTE Energy, to share his perspectives on the industry and details about the important work that his team has been doing to ensure the future of reliable renewable assets.  
DTE Energy made its first strides in the renewables industry around 15 years ago. Today, they have a portfolio of around 2,500 to 3,000 megawatts, predominantly in wind power but also solar energy as well.   
Chuck explores the challenges in the industry, the technologies that will shape the future, and how legislation is helping to make renewable energy investment more lucrative.  
Key Moments: 
How DTE invests in renewables A day in the life of a VP of Renewable Energy Development challenges in wind power  Why there’s uncertainty in the solar energy industry right now The reality of reshoring plans  Challenges and opportunities of getting into wind power Why repowering is a big focus for DTE Energy Why storage is key to the future of renewables What DTE Energy is doing to help the labor shortage  
Key Links: 
Connect with Chuck on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-conlen-b5622b11/  DTE Energy: https://www.dteenergy.com/  

Reliability and maintenance play key roles in managing wind assets. It’s not enough to simply invest in the latest technology or brand new turbines — sooner or later, these new assets will require upgrades, maintenance, and repairs. How we manage those repairs can make all the difference to output, safety, and reliability.  
To learn more about what goes into managing reliability and maintenance, we invited Megan Diba, Reliability Engineering Team Leader for BP Wind Energy, to the Climate Chronicles podcast. Megan explains the responsibilities of her role, what a reliability engineer actually does, the challenges in the industry, and much more.  
Key Moments: 
Megan explains the typical responsibilities in her role  The top challenges in maintaining wind assets  Why we should be wary of favoring bigger wind turbines Why maintenance requires good data  Why a proactive approach to maintenance is best Tools Megan would like to see in the future Megan and her team’s biggest focuses for the future Why communication with OEMs needs to improve What Megan’s most excited about in the industry  
Key Links:  
BP Wind: https://www.bp.com/en_us/united-states/home/what-we-do/gas-and-low-carbon-energy/wind.html  

The work certainly doesn’t stop at construction when it comes to renewable energy assets. For the wind industry, there’s a great deal of management and maintenance behind the scenes to keep assets performing at their best.  
We wanted to learn more about what it takes to properly manage a portfolio of wind energy assets, the challenges of doing so, how blade engineers collaborate with OEMs, and what lessons we can all learn in the industry.  
In this episode of the Climate Chronicles podcast, we welcomed Pragna Shashidhar, Senior Wind Blade Engineer at ENGIE North America, to talk more about the operations and maintenance of wind assets. She shares insights into what a wind blade engineer does, the complexities of the role, the importance of good data analysis, and much more.   
Key moments: 
What a senior blade engineer is responsible for Why maintenance is essential How blade engineers make maintenance decisions Lessons learned from collaborating with OEMs The current challenges of scaling in the wind industry  Technology gaps in the renewable energy industry Potential challenges in the future   
Key links: 
ENGIE: https://www.engie.com/en  SkySpecs: https://skyspecs.com/  

What does development in the renewable energy industry look like today? 
We asked Pauline Searles, Senior Project Engineer at Enel North America, to join this episode of Climate Chronicles to provide their perspective. 
In this episode, Pauline shares some insights into their role and the kind of projects they work on. We also hear their thoughts on the importance of battery storage, the biggest challenges in the industry, why we need to prepare to recycle renewable assets, and much more.  
Key moments: 
How Pauline got involved in the renewable energy industry Why diversity in renewable technology is needed Why battery storage is such a hot topic  The top challenges in the industry Challenges in Pauline’s work Why we need to work on better turbine recycling opportunities How technology has helped projects complete faster  Pauline’s average workday and processes  
Key links: 
Connect with Pauline on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulinesearles/  
Enel: https://www.enel.com/  
SkySpecs: https://skyspecs.com/