GL Wind Inspects Turbines for Full Insurance Cover

Hamburg, 4 April 2005 – When wind turbines are damaged, their operators suffer great expense as a rule. With a view to preventing damage, Germanischer Lloyd WindEnergie GmbH (GL Wind), the market leader in the product certification of wind turbines, recommends regular condition inspections of the installations. Excessive material loading is frequently caused at wind turbines by vibration. With the aid of vibration measurements, weak points at the gearbox, generator and/or main bearing can be localized during an inspection of the plant. Vibration measurements are prescribed by the insurance companies. With the ”condition-based inspection”, measurements of the vibration form a prerequisite for unrestricted insurance cover of wind turbines. The measurements are performed with the aid of offline condition monitoring systems (CMS). In cooperation with the companies WINDTEST Kaiser Wilhelm-Koog GmbH, WINDTEST Grevenbroich GmbH and WIND-consult Ingenieurgesellschaft für umweltschonende Energiewandlung mbH (Bargeshagen/Rostock), GL Wind has four mobile measurement units deployed in the field.   GL Wind’s spectrum of services covers the entire range of plant certification, including prototype tests, site assessment, and technical surveillance from production to commissioning. In addition, periodic monitoring is carried out, condition inspections are performed on individual components and assemblies, and damage expertises are compiled. For further information on the wide range of services provided by GL Wind, visit www.gl-group.com/glwind. Personal contact: Germanischer Lloyd WindEnergie GmbH Torsten Muuß Department for Certification of Onshore and Offshore Projects Steinhöft 9 20459 Hamburg Phone: +49 40 31106-7727 Fax:      +49 40 31106-1720 E-mail:  muu@gl-group.com

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