Why Monitoring?

Wind turbines are exposed to vibration, deformation, and micro-cracking under severe wind loads. Therefore, continuous monitoring of foundation and tower behavior is critical for both design optimization and the development of effective maintenance strategies. This approach helps reduce unplanned maintenance activities and extends the operational lifespan of the systems.

Technical Approach

Custom-developed strain gauges by GeoAnts were installed prior to the concrete pouring of the turbine foundations and embedded within the structure to enable continuous measurements. Through these sensors:

• Loads, deformations, and vibrations within the foundation are recorded 24/7.
• Foundation and tower behavior are monitored holistically using accelerometers and tiltmeters.
• All collected data are transmitted at defined intervals to a cloud-based platform via on-site data acquisition units.

This system allows field engineers, maintenance teams, and project managers to access measurements in real time and identify proximity to critical threshold values at an early stage through trend analysis.

Results and Added Value

Thanks to the implemented monitoring system, not only the energy production but also the structural safety of the wind turbines is continuously kept under control. This approach has:

• Reduced unplanned maintenance costs,
• Extended operational lifetimes,
• Improved overall system efficiency.

As a result, the project delivers a reliable solution against the challenges posed by nature and serves as a strong example of smart, predictive infrastructure models for future energy systems.