Wind energy operations & maintenance leaders convene in Toronto to collaborate on advancements in operations, with a focus on health and safety

Wind energy operations and maintenance leaders recognized for outstanding achievement and made-in-Canada solutions with CanWEA's 2019 O&M Awards

TORONTO, Jan. 30, 2019 /CNW/ - Canada's largest annual wind energy operations and maintenance (O&M) event wrapped up today, showcasing rapid improvements in O&M and the presence of a strong culture of health and safety in the wind energy industry. More than 260 wind energy professionals from across Canada and the U.S. attended the two-day Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) O&M Summit, held January 29 and 30 at the Hilton Mississauga.

Summit attendees were presented with new ideas from entrepreneurs, exposed to new products and services, and invited to participate in a health and safety committee meeting. Delegates also participated in a "research huddle" to explore the details of current research findings. Among the many industry advancements highlighted at the event were:

• a comprehensive review of icing detectors and forecasting technology, essential for cold-climate operations;
• the unveiling of a new small crane in a shipping container that can lift a rotor into place on a wind turbine;
• an analysis of the O&M market in North America going forward; and
• highly-interactive sessions between speakers and participants on subjects such as protecting bats, the implications of new cannabis legislation, and the latest developments in health and safety.

At today's 2019 O&M Awards Breakfast, the winners of the CanWEA awards for excellence in health and safety and innovation were announced. TECHÉOL inc. was presented the O&M Outstanding Achievement Award, while Vestas Canadian Wind Technology was presented the Health and Safety Excellence Award. Other companies recognized as finalists for the awards were Capstone Infrastructure (Outstanding Achievement) and Kruger Energy Port Alma LP & Chatham LP (Health and Safety).

The O&M Summit also featured 25 wind energy exhibitors showcasing their products and services in the largest-ever exhibit space for the annual O&M event.

Quotes

"As Canada's wind energy industry continues to expand, and the significance of O&M in the industry's success and evolution increases, there are many benefits to convening more than 260 industry leaders to connect and discuss operational issues and improvements, examine innovative tools and techniques, and continue the promotion of health and safety excellence. These owners, operators, manufacturers and service providers are key contributors to wind energy's status as the most economical option for new non-emitting electricity generation in Canada."
- Phil McKay, Operations and Maintenance Program Director, Canadian Wind Energy Association

"Canada's wind energy industry has created over 58,000 person-years of employment in construction and operations, bringing green jobs to nearly 300 communities. The wind power sector has been the largest source of new electricity generation in Canada for over a decade, and our Vision for the industry calls for continued steady growth as Canadians turn to clean and low-cost power to meet an increasing need for a flexible, reliable and carbon-free electricity grid. As the penetration of variable generation sources like wind energy on the grid increases, there is a critical role for a thriving and innovative operations and maintenance sector to help ensure the efficient delivery of the full range of products and services non-emitting resources can provide to ensure the reliability of the grid both solely and in partnership with other technologies like solar, hydro or storage."
- Robert Hornung, President, Canadian Wind Energy Association

"Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy is delighted to be the title sponsor of this year's CanWEA O&M Summit. Like CanWEA, Siemens Gamesa sees safety and performance optimization as integral to the industry as our installed base grows. As a global technology leader, SGRE provides our customers with leading edge performance and production enhancements to help them achieve the lowest cost of energy. We make real what matters – clean energy for generations to come."
- David Hickey, Head of Country Canada, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy

"IHS Markit was so delighted that CanWEA invited us to speak at the Wind Energy O&M conference. The benefit of having so many decision-makers in one room is clear, and will only become more valuable as O&M garners more of the energy spotlight. The networking was top-notch. We look forward to coming again next year!"
- Rafael McDonald, Director, North American Renewable Power

Background

• Learn more about the nominees and winners of the two CanWEA Awards presented at this year's O&M Summit: Finalists revealed for the CanWEA wind energy operations and maintenance awards
• Learn more about CanWEA's suite of six annual Awards that recognize wind energy leaders making outstanding contributions to Canada's wind energy industry.
• Download the newly-released Best Practices in Wind Power Facility Electrical Safety guide, which contains a range of resources for wind farm owners, operators, equipment manufacturers, and service providers that address this important topic from a Canadian perspective. It is an example of the tools and materials developed by CanWEA to benefit the operations and maintenance of Canada's wind energy industry.
• CanWEA's Wind Energy Grid Services Primer provides insights about advancements in variable generation integration, the key capabilities of wind power generation facilities when it comes to grid services, and market considerations to encourage continued success.
• CanWEA's O&M Summit is part of a broader CanWEA Operations and Maintenance Program that allows the wind energy industry to collaborate on areas such as benchmarking data, health and safety best practices, improved networking, innovation and research, and information sharing on critical issues such as wildlife and the environment.
• Canada had 6,596 wind turbines totaling 12,816 megawatts of installed capacity operating as of December 2018, with growth spurred by a 69 per cent decrease in wind energy costs since 2009 (Lazard 12.0), and costs forecast to continue decreasing over the coming years.
• CanWEA's Wind Energy Vision for Canada describes the expanding role for wind energy in a Canadian electricity grid being transformed to power a low-carbon future. Learn more about wind energy's competitive price, social and economic contributions, and the policy recommendations that Canada can take to capitalize on its massive renewable and non-emitting resource base.

About the Canadian Wind Energy Association
CanWEA is the voice of Canada's wind energy industry, actively promoting the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy. A national non-profit association, CanWEA serves as Canada's leading source of credible information about wind energy and its social, economic and environmental benefits. Join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Learn more at canwea.ca.

SOURCE Canadian Wind Energy Association