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September 10, 2021
A lack of clarity around the accountability of fire risk management between wind farm owners and turbine manufacturers has put the wind sector at greater risk of suffering the damaging consequences of fire. Who is responsible for what? If a turbine catches fire, who is liable? The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) or the asset owner? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that turbines are equipped with fire suppression systems?
August 31, 2021
Wind energy has a crucial part to play in steering the earth away from a reliance on fossil fuels and ultimately reducing emissions and the devastating impacts of climate change. Yet when it comes to developing projects, the industry often faces local opposition from residents on tenuous grounds. But when it comes to fire risk, failing to take steps that address public concerns could result in a damaging reputational hit – particularly if a wind turbine does catch fire.
August 25, 2021
Wind turbine fires are bad news for many reasons. From developers to operators and owners, manufacturers to workers, fire incidents at wind assets can hugely negatively affect everyone. Whether by causing injuries to onsite workers, detriment to future wind projects, or intangible wounds to the reputations of all involved entities – turbine fires deeply mar the industry.
August 24, 2021
Fire departments respond to more than one million fires each year in the United States alone. And while that number has been steadily decreasing since the 1970s, fires still present the potential for extremely hazardous situations whenever they occur. But while they all burn, not all fires are the same. In order to group fires—and the ways to extinguish them—fire professionals developed a system to classify fires.
July 6, 2021
Turbine fires present significant financial and reputational risks to the wind industry. Manufacturers, project owners, and operators have all taken major steps to reduce fire risk, but to date, most wind turbine fires are covered under insurance policies. However, as renewable energy insurers tighten terms and conditions and increase premiums and rates, the wind industry may have to cover more of the cost if a turbine is destroyed by fire.
June 23, 2021
The exact industry-wide risk for wind turbine fires is hard to pin down. Statistics vary between sources from 1 in 2,000 to 1 in 15,000. As the number of operating wind turbines grows, the total number of wind turbine fires per year will increase unless owners and operators fully manage fire risk. The wind industry takes fire risk very seriously, but often, owners and operators don’t always know where to start when it comes to evaluating their wind turbine’s fire risk.
March 23, 2021
Wind farm owners and operators retrofit their wind turbines with fire suppression systems for a number of reasons. Some retrofit after losing a turbine to a fire incident, others because of internal risk analysis, and some after receiving a significant increase in insurance rates. There are both pros and cons of retrofitting fire suppression systems. We’ll help you understand if the benefits outweigh the risks of installing fire suppression systems on your fleet.
March 16, 2021
Wind turbines are multi-million dollar pieces of equipment with sensitive electronics, and from time to time, employees working inside and outside the turbine. In the case of a fire starting in the wind turbine, a fire suppression system can prevent the risk of fire loss in your turbines, but only if properly designed and with a suitable fire suppression agent. Deciding on the best fire suppression agent is important in order to protect your equipment, employees, and the environment.
March 9, 2021
Wind turbine insurance rates have increased 20-30% in the past few years due to several large claims. A fire in one of your turbines can significantly increase your insurance premiums and raise your deductible levels, causing your insurance to become even more expensive. A fire will most likely adversely affect your insurance policy, but there are ways to make your policy more favorable by mitigating fire risk before a fire incident.
February 22, 2021
The number of wind turbine fires is increasing as the number of turbines installed increases. For example, a 100-turbine wind farm is on average ten times more likely to have a fire than a 10-turbine wind farm. This trend is affecting the reputation of the industry, hardening the insurance market, and has the potential to hurt the growth of the wind industry.
February 17, 2021
Texas has been hit by a wave of freezing temperatures that caused major power outages for millions across the state. Around half of wind turbines in the state stopped generating electricity, which caused doubts about the effectiveness of renewable energy. However, wind turbines are operating in frigid places like Antarctica, Norway, the North Sea, and Sweden. How are these turbines able to operate, but those in Texas are not?
February 15, 2021
Losses due to wind turbine fires can cost $7-8 million, which could be crippling to pay for without insurance. Wind turbine insurance is important to ensure that producing wind energy remains profitable for owners and operators. However, many insureds are surprised that they didn’t understand their insurance policy terms fully when they have a loss.
