Page 53 - North American Clean Energy March/April 2019 Issue

Chris Shroyer is the President of BladeEdge, a cloud based, arti cially intelligent analytics engine that uses inspection images, regardless of capture method, to transform raw data into actionable intelligence.
BladeEdge /// bladeedge.net
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North American Clean Energy
53
The Future of the Wind Industry is Automated
AI is allowing leaders in the wind industry to take back their time. Trusting the accuracy of data grants the ability to make smart decisions, fast. Blades can now be repaired economically, before small areas of damage become big problems that severely decrease e ciency. e solution to inspection data processing challenges is here and it’s increasing our productivity, renewing our focus, and creating e ciencies greater than we ever thought possible.
means the possibility of errors always exists. Can you trust that your data is accurate? Can you trust the evaluation process? Can you guarantee that your team catches the same details in every inspection? AI can.
Automated AI analysis processes provide consistency in the evaluation of damages. Each inspection builds upon the last, creating the ability to track damage and wear over time, with currently 98.8 percent con dence in the accuracy of the data. Human brains don’t work this way. We’re innovators and problem solvers – not data processors.
Minimize Ef ciency Loss
Wind energy is dependent on maximizing e ciency. Damage, wear, and blade degradation can lead to 5-25 percent e ciency loss, which translates to signi cant lost revenue. Any amount of e ciency loss adds up quickly; blades can degrade at an exponential rate if
left unmanaged. e key to decreasing e ciency loss is catching damage early, and planning proactive maintenance
and repairs – in short, you need data, and you need it fast. You don’t have days to determine if you’re looking at a smudge or dirt or hairline fracture. Every minute of ine ciency and downtime comes at a cost.
Possibly the most useful bene t of AI analysis is the capacity for fast, streamlined reporting. Automated reports are generated faster than ever before, with a level of sophistication that highlights the blades or turbines that need immediate attention – and with 98.8 percent con dence in data accuracy, you can
trust that what you’ve reviewed is correct. ere’s no need to comb through the entire dataset. (Unless that’s your thing - we’re not saying you can’t dive into the data, only that you don’t have to anymore).