Deriva Energy optimizes lightning monitoring and identifies previously undetected risks

Deriva Energy, a leading company in the renewable energy sector, faced the challenge of reducing the risk of undetected lightning damage and meeting their financial investor’s requirement of having a robust and transparent lightning risk management program. Deriva Energy needed to implement a system capable of reliably detecting lightning strikes to their wind turbines in order to minimize undetected lightning strikes and potential damage.

 

A solution was found in the :EVENT LIGHTNING detection system with the Xweather Add-on. This enabled precise, turbine-by-turbine monitoring with remotely detected lighting strike characteristics that were integrated into Deriva Energy’s Maximo CMMS. This system ensured Deriva Energy was efficiently utilizing limited field and engineering resources in evaluation of potentially damaged turbines and also provided the reporting capabilities needed to meet investor requirements.

Eliminating Blind Spots

In the United States, lightning strikes to wind turbines, especially upward lightning and winter lightning, represent a serious risk, often resulting in significant damage. As these threats continue to grow, the need for reliable lightning monitoring has become increasingly critical.

 

To mitigate the effects of lightning and meet the requirements of its financial investor, Deriva Energy needed a system that could accurately confirm lightning strikes on their turbines and provide detailed event data. The :EVENT LIGHTNING detection solution, enhanced by Add-on Xweather, delivered exactly that. :EVENT LIGHTNING leverages ON-TOWER technology to detect lightning strikes, both upward and downward, in real time alerting operators within minutes. The Add-on Xweather further enriches the solution with data from the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) and the Global Lightning Dataset (GLD360), both owned and operated by Vaisala Xweather. These networks provide comprehensive details on each lightning event, including signal strength, polarity, and rise time.

 

This powerful combination enabled Deriva Energy to precisely capture lightning events and seamlessly integrate the data into their CMMS system, Maximo. Once a lightning strike was confirmed, the system automatically triggered an inspection request, prompting the team to assess the affected turbine without delay.

Results and benefits

 

Accurate lightning monitoring

With :EVENT LIGHTNING, Deriva Energy was able to precisely determine when and where lightning strikes occurred. This enabled targeted inspections of the affected wind turbines. The Add-on Xweather further enhanced their capabilities by providing deeper insights into the intensity and impacts of each lightning event. Deriva was no longer inspecting multiple wind turbines that may have been struck by inconsequential lightning after a lightning storm or may not have been struck at all.

 

Seamless integration into existing workflows

Once a lightning event was confirmed, Deriva Energy’s Maximo system automatically triggered an inspection request, improving the efficiency and accuracy of their maintenance processes.

 

Winter lightning as an unexpected risk

Deriva Energy discovered that winter lightning also posed a significant and previously unknown risk that highlighted the importance of year-round lightning monitoring.

 

Collaboration with an external risk consulting company

An independent risk consulting company reviewed the viability of the solution, ensuring that it could meet the risk mitigation requirements of Deriva Energy and the financial investor.

Conclusion

The implemented lightning monitoring solution ensured that Deriva Energy met risk mitigation requirements while reliably identifying previously undetected lightning events. By integrating into existing workflows and enabling accurate event detection, the system allowed for targeted responses and helped prevent the propagation of damage to the turbines. This case study demonstrates how precise lightning monitoring can enhance both the safety and profitability of wind farm operators, especially in a market that increasingly relies on proactive risk mitigation measures.