Making wind wireless

Several factors are driving the creation of new opportunities to optimise wind farm operations. These include innovation in wind turbine technology and a new generation of sensors, as well as the ongoing acceleration in machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI).

Leveraging these developments in a new area of digitalisation will be key to success. Arguably the most crucial factor of all will be the ability to accurately capture and transport a growing volume of data in real time – both within wind farms and onward to data centres and their operators. The growth in the volume of data is significant, and it is driving the requirement to provide low-cost wireless connectivity for new Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Where operators were previously relying on VHF, Tetra, and satellite-based technology solutions,

they are now supplementing, or replacing, those systems with industry standards-based LTE/4G technology.

This exciting new generation of private wireless network technology has proved its worth in other challenging, complex, industrial environments, including mines, ports, and factories. The ability of LTE/4G to provide fast, accurate, and robust data delivery in these contexts implies significant operational and commercial benefits for operators.

Construction and operation of wind farms, onshore and particularly offshore, presents many obstacles similar to those that have been addressed and overcome in other challenging industrial environments.

The process of constructing an offshore wind farm is a challenging and hazardous endeavour. It begins with the laying of subsea cables that connect the area where the turbines are to be erected with the shore, and with an offshore substation that sits at the heart of the wind farm and transmits the generated power back to dry land.

Monopiles that will effectively act as the foundations for each wind turbine then have to be hammered into the seabed to a depth of up to 30 m. Once this process is complete, the cables, platforms, ladders, and all-important wind turbines can be installed.

It is worth emphasising just how hazardous this construction process is – and how important it is that the health and safety of the teams carrying out the work is treated as a top priority. At the same time, workforce enablement to ensure maximum productivity and the most seamless and efficient installation and ongoing maintenance process is also a key consideration.

Many of the tasks described above are carried out using remote-controlled subsea vehicles. The teams operating these machines and working onsite need the most robust broadband data capabilities, as well as high-definition video to ensure the efficient delivery and installation of all the components that make up a wind farm.

The boosted quality of communications delivered by the new generation of LTE/4G technology also brings benefits to voice communications between team members, as well as between the operatives on site and those in the operations centre on land.1

Once the wind farm is operational, the safety of on-site teams working many kilometres out to sea must continue to be a priority. The distance involved and the challenges posed by stormy weather conditions and high seas can pose a threat to the efficient performance of turbines and blades. Any delay during construction and interruption in ongoing operation is likely to have severe commercial implications.

Wind farm owners and operators have been quick to realise the benefits that can be delivered by digitalisation and automation. Fast, accurate data collection relating to the performance of the wind farms, and the use of that data to improve asset management, are extremely positive developments for operations working in this sphere.

The migration from VHF and Tetra to private wireless networks represents a significant upgrade in this context. Teams working to maintain the efficient operation of turbines and blades now have more efficient and reliable communication networks. The ability to monitor environmental conditions such as vibration, temperature, and humidity is a significant factor in the optimisation of operations, as well as safety and security.

Figure 1. Where operators were previously relying on VHF, Tetra, and satellite-based technology solutions, they are now supplementing or replacing those systems with industry standards-based LTE/4G technology.

Figure 2. LTE/4G technology can deliver pervasive connectivity for the entire site – which can cover an extremely large area of land or sea. In the case of offshore wind farms, that coverage can be extended over the corridor from the site to the port.

Although Wi-Fi has seen notable improvements in the wake of the Wi-Fi 6 standard, private wireless networks represent a significant step forward for industrial operators such as the owners of wind farms. LTE/4G delivers extremely robust systems with high reliability, low latency, and elevated security standards.

This makes private wireless a logical choice for an installation such as a wind farm. LTE/4G technology can deliver pervasive connectivity for the entire site – which can cover an extremely large area of land or sea. In the case of offshore wind farms, that coverage can be extended over the corridor from the site to the port.

Given their efficacy in other challenging industrial environments, it should be no surprise that private wireless networks offer a considerable performance upgrade for wind farm operators. Even as wind turbines grow in number and capacity, and are deployed ever further from shore to meet ever-increasing demand for energy, the suitability of reliable, robust private wireless networks becomes ever more apparent.

Such networks can connect assets many kilometres apart while facilitating the transfer of data with low latency and high bandwidth. Private wireless antennae are installed on the offshore platform, while data is transferred back to shore, initially by a microwave radio link and then by an undersea fibre optical cable. The microwave link is retained as a back-up to ensure communication continues if there are any issues with the cable.

Workers at the substation, turbines, or on service vessels can access expert input from the shore via real-time video calls. The enhanced connectivity also enables faster diagnosis and repair of issues, as well as underpinning the health and safety of those located at the site. Field technicians can, for the first time, provide a clear picture from inside turbine structures that enable operations staff to monitor conditions and effect any repairs required.

The requirement for ever more robust solutions to match the growth in size and number of increasingly remote wind farms is unlikely to slacken any time soon. Operators of these super-sized farms will be eager to keep maintenance windows small and costs manageable, whilst still delivering optimal performance and avoiding expensive technical hitches.

Private wireless networks represent a major stride forward in providing the required connectivity to enable enhanced remote monitoring capabilities beyond those with existing SCADA networks. The application of smart technology, such as AI, machine learning, and digital twins, ensures the data collected remotely can be used to upgrade maintenance programmes.

For instance, data can be analysed in real time and compared with business-as-usual operations to highlight any anomalies so that they can be addressed before any equipment is damaged or any outages occur. An operative can work in the nacelle of a turbine and, through a pair of smart glasses, analyse a particular component while receiving real-time data from the device.

However, the benefits delivered by private wireless networks to the operators of offshore wind farms are not restricted simply to costs and maintenance. They can also deliver performance improvements in the turbines themselves. A new generation of sensors and monitoring equipment is in the pipeline, which will collect operational data that can in turn be used to further optimise the performance of those assets.

With a private wireless network, it is possible to monitor the turbine sensors several times each second and use the collected data to highlight and address areas including structural changes, acoustics, temperature, and even lightning strikes.

A further significant consideration is the quality of life of the staff who might spend several weeks at a time living on service vessels far from shore. The private wireless network that covers the wind farm and its associated corridor back to port should also extend to those vessels, allowing those on board to make video calls home, access the internet, and stream a TV programme or movie.

One of the most reassuring benefits of private wireless networks is that they incorporate a significant degree of future-proofing that will ensure the seamless integration of new data collection, automation, and maintenance capabilities. Evolution to 5G will be straightforward once the use cases arise that necessitate such a switch.

As new wind farms are deployed, or as new turbines are added to installations that already benefit from LTE/4G efficiencies, they will be easily assimilated into the network. That means maintenance work can be planned that uses digital twins and AR technology to simulate scenarios and alterations that can then be deployed in the real world.

Training of staff can also take place on site. New recruits get the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the equipment they will be working on, while experienced staff can refresh their knowledge of existing turbines and other pieces of kit.

This leads on to another important consideration. Private wireless networks are ideal, not only for new wind farms, but for those that have been in place for some time. Their presence addresses challenges when retrofitting older wind turbines with a new generation of monitoring capabilities by easily getting higher frequency data to applications and users. Existing installations can be retro-fitted with the latest technology to ensure that their owners and workers enjoy the same enhancements in safety and performance – and that the existing farms operate as efficiently as the newer facilities in the same ownership.

The phrase ‘a perfect storm’ is unlikely to find much favour with people who own, construct, and work on wind farms. However, it describes perfectly the circumstances surrounding such installations now and in the near future when it comes to private wireless networks.

The remote location of wind farms – particularly in the case of offshore sites – presents a challenge to operators who need robust communications and an ultra-reliable delivery of data that can be used to ensure optimal ongoing generation, as well as the maintenance of high health and safety standards.

Utilising a robust, cutting-edge solution with LTE/4G and, in the imminent future, 5G, ensures that such targets will be met and exceeded through the use of this evolutionary and revolutionary technology.2

1. ‘Renewable energy’, Nokia, (Accessed on 12/07/22). 2. Nokia, ‘Keeping Belgian North Sea wind farms connected’, Power Technology, (October 2020).