Enel Green Power said that wind farms are an important part of the energy transition but, when it comes to Operation and Maintenance, they can present major challenges. The enormous height of their towers and turbines means that cleaning and inspection work can be difficult and dangerous, and for this reason Enel Greem Power is increasingly using drones and robots. Innovative projects are being developed at wind farms in Mexico, but also applying this type of technology at renewable power plants in the other countries where Enel Greem Power operates.The projects in Mexico are being developed in collaboration with prestigious universities like the Tecnológico de Monterrey. Pioneering work is being done at the Palo Alto wind farm in the state of Jalisco in western Mexico, although it will later be applied to our other wind farms in the country. The challenges faced are typical of this type of plant: detecting potential equipment breakdowns, cleaning the blades after atmospheric discharges, and dealing with issues like lightning. Enel Greem Power has therefore installed a lightning protection system which attracts lightning discharges to controlled impact locations.Similar technology is being used at wind farms and other renewable power plants in other countries. In the case of hydroelectric power plants, Enel Greem Power has developed, together with a startup in Colombia, a miniature robot that can carry out inspection work in areas of the plants that are deemed dangerous for humans. The robot even has an electronic nose that can detect gas. Meanwhile Enel Greem Power’s facility at Vajont in the Northern Italian region of Veneto is using the snake-like Guardian S which can operate in tubing as narrow as 18 centimeters. The Nuevo Chorro hydroelectric plant in Andalusia, Spain, on the other hand, uses a technique known as hovering: here drones can carry out inspections from a distance of two kilometers.Other innovative technological solutions include the use of fiber optics for the detection of ice on blades at the Zoodochos Pigi wind farm in Greece. Solar power plants are also using cutting-edge solutions. Enel Greem Power is working alongside Raptor Maps, a US-based company specializing in artificial intelligence. It has developed a drone-based system that uses thermal imaging cameras to detect faults in solar panels before they become problematic. And an Israeli startup, Perceptor, has developed Sparrow 1.3, an inspection drone that can fly over both wind farms and solar power plants, reaching a speed of 65 kph. Last but not least, Enel Greem Power’s Innovation Hub in Catania has developed Autonomous Robot Platform which uses drones and a land-based rover for solar panel inspection. When it comes to the energy transition, there are no limits to what technology can achieve.
Enel Green Power said that wind farms are an important part of the energy transition but, when it comes to Operation and Maintenance, they can present major challenges. The enormous height of their towers and turbines means that cleaning and inspection work can be difficult and dangerous, and for this reason Enel Greem Power is increasingly using drones and robots. Innovative projects are being developed at wind farms in Mexico, but also applying this type of technology at renewable power plants in the other countries where Enel Greem Power operates.The projects in Mexico are being developed in collaboration with prestigious universities like the Tecnológico de Monterrey. Pioneering work is being done at the Palo Alto wind farm in the state of Jalisco in western Mexico, although it will later be applied to our other wind farms in the country. The challenges faced are typical of this type of plant: detecting potential equipment breakdowns, cleaning the blades after atmospheric discharges, and dealing with issues like lightning. Enel Greem Power has therefore installed a lightning protection system which attracts lightning discharges to controlled impact locations.Similar technology is being used at wind farms and other renewable power plants in other countries. In the case of hydroelectric power plants, Enel Greem Power has developed, together with a startup in Colombia, a miniature robot that can carry out inspection work in areas of the plants that are deemed dangerous for humans. The robot even has an electronic nose that can detect gas. Meanwhile Enel Greem Power’s facility at Vajont in the Northern Italian region of Veneto is using the snake-like Guardian S which can operate in tubing as narrow as 18 centimeters. The Nuevo Chorro hydroelectric plant in Andalusia, Spain, on the other hand, uses a technique known as hovering: here drones can carry out inspections from a distance of two kilometers.Other innovative technological solutions include the use of fiber optics for the detection of ice on blades at the Zoodochos Pigi wind farm in Greece. Solar power plants are also using cutting-edge solutions. Enel Greem Power is working alongside Raptor Maps, a US-based company specializing in artificial intelligence. It has developed a drone-based system that uses thermal imaging cameras to detect faults in solar panels before they become problematic. And an Israeli startup, Perceptor, has developed Sparrow 1.3, an inspection drone that can fly over both wind farms and solar power plants, reaching a speed of 65 kph. Last but not least, Enel Greem Power’s Innovation Hub in Catania has developed Autonomous Robot Platform which uses drones and a land-based rover for solar panel inspection. When it comes to the energy transition, there are no limits to what technology can achieve.
