As the installed base of wind turbines in North America ages, more attention is being focused on the importance that blade maintenance plays on turbine productivity. Particularly the leading edges (LE) of the blade. Spinning at 80-90 mps, the LEs are constantly pricked and pummeled by a maelstrom ofobjects that erode their surface. Rain, sleet, dust and airborne particulates incur varying degrees of damage—depending on the type and amount, the speed of strike, and the coating and composition of the LE.

This occurrence is inevitable, butwhat you choose to do about it—and when—will make a difference in the profitability of your operation.

First Step—AssessThe first thing to do is investigate the state of your blades’ LE health. If erosion is evident, determine how much the power curve is changing over time. You want to know the productivity loss being caused by reduced airfoil efficiency.

The second factor to consider

GOOD WINDGOOD WINDT H E

THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOR WIND ENERGY SERVICES COMPANY PREMIERE ISSUE • FALL 2011

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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER FOR WIND ENERGY SERVICES COMPANY

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ISSUE 3 • SPRING 2012

Israel Barajas joins as manager of HSE, with primary responsibility for programs and practices that will maintain and enhance WES’s industry-leading safety record. He has more than 20 years’ experience in the composites industry under his belt, the last 14 years with sister companies at MFG—including operations in Mexico, Alabama and South Dakota. He is a powerhouse ofknowledge—beyond the Safety and Environmental areas his background also includes quality, engineering, production, materials, scheduling and specific expertise in LEAN manufacturing. Israel holds a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering and an MBA, as

well as a Health and Safety Management certificate.

The key initiatives on the top of Israel’s list are raising the standards at WES to exceed thepresent industry standards—via training manuals, procedures, training and site auditing. As our technician teams are deployed this summer, you may spy him auditing your site to ensure 100% compliance of our safety practices. WES is closing in on 700 days without a lost time accident—and our intention is to carry that record even further! IBarajas@mfgtx.com

In a new, highly visible position for customers, Ken McGraw

will be out and about visiting customers as a field account manager. He comes to WES with ten years of prior experience in industrial sales and customer service, including his most recent post as District Sales Manager for Dallas and East Texas at Klein Tools. He has a BS in Business Management from LeTourneau University.

Don’t be surprised to find Kenat your door this summer asking about how we can serve you better and offering to acquaint you with the latest techniques WES has adopted. KMcGraw@windenergyservicesusa.com

—has the LE weakened to the point that the blade could potentially split open—risking a catastrophic event? The potential loss of a blade is an expensive risk both in cash outlay for the repair and downtime.

Next—Weigh the OptionsIf your blade conditions indicate advanced erosion, the decision is easy. Get the blades repaired right away! Beware that if the erosion is advanced, lamination of the LE is probably necessary before fairing.CONtiNued ON PAge 2

WeS Adds two to Management teamBolstering the company’s commitment to worker safety and customer service, WES is pleased to announce the addition of two outstanding professionals to our team.

L e A d i N g e d g e e r O S i O NStrategic Moves to improve Wind Farm Productivity

israel BarajasHSE Manager

Ken McgrawField Account Manager

example ofsevere Le erosion.

This blade could potentially split open—risking a

catastrophic event.

example of moderate Le erosion.

A plan should bemade for preventative

maintenance in thenear future.

example of light Le erosion.

Protective tapes and coatings are available

to preserve theproductive life of even

lightly worn blades. Clean edges maximizeturbine performance.

2 THE GOOD WIND

See You at AWeA by gary Kanaby, director

I am looking forward to many visits from our customers andinterested parties at this year’s AWEA Conference in Atlanta the first week of June. If you are there, you will notice a new name associated with WES-MFG Wind. The Molded Fiber Glass Companies created this new brand to better organize all of our wind energy capabilities under a single, easy to find umbrella. As has always been the case, WES is the field service arm of MFG Wind. This relationship gives our customers access to the respected knowledge base of the industry’s most experienced fabricator of composite components for wind.

Whether or not we have a chance to see you at the show, I am available to assist you in making good decisions on how to maintain your blades. Call or drop me a line if you can’t meet me in person at the show, I’d enjoy hearing from you.

— Gary

GKanaby@moldedfiberglass.com(619) 778-7213

At MFG, approximately 700 jobs in five manufacturing plants are directly related to the wind energy business. A contributing factor to the health of the wind industry has been a tax incentive called the Production Tax Credit (PTC) that allows wind energy to compete with coal and natural gas energy production and encourages development of clean energy projects.

The PTC expires in December unless Congress passes a bill to extend it. Failure to extend it will put the brakes on the

progress America has made to include renewable, homegrown energy as part of our electricity portfolio, and will hurt job growth.

As a member of AWEA, MFG is working to raise awareness of the value of wind-related jobs to communities, and to urge government action. In January, CEO Richard Morrison represented wind energy manufacturers at an AWEA news media webinar, and was subsequently quoted in the Wall Street Journal (http://tinyurl.com/ceoQuote). In

February, during AWEA’s annual Capitol Hill event, Gary Kanaby met with 10 lawmakers from the five states where MFG has wind energy operations to solicit their support for PTC renewal.

In May, our CEO and Wind Energy Champion, Carl LaFrance, made another trip to DC to press on lawmakers for action. It may still be possible to get a bill passed before it expires. Each of us can participate by contacting our congressional representatives to express our support for the PTC. The AWEA website has a page that makes contacting your local representatives a simple one-step process: http://tinyurl.com/act4wind.

Wind energy update—O&M At its FinestAt the annual Wind energy update conference in May, WES was represented by Gary Kanaby who was both a presenter and a panelist. This forum brings together the industry’s leading subject matter experts to share their knowledge, and to collaborate on solutions to common problems toward raising the standards for the industry as a whole. This was not a blade event, but Operations and Maintenance at its finest. Every aspect of O&M for wind farms was delved into, with an emphasis on preventative maintenance and safety.

Gary’s presentation was titled Blade Repair Challenges, and you can download it on our website in the Technical Papers section.

MFg and WeS Join AWeA effortin Support of Wind energy

Denise Bode (left) of AWEA with Gary Kanaby of WES.

CONtiNued FrOM PAge 1

If your blade conditions are in good to fair state of health, your action plan should be based on mitigating risk and energy loss.

Strategic PlanningWES recommends a strategic approach to managing LE erosion issues. First, establish a budget that allows for a percentage of the farm’s blades to be repaired. A 5-year plan where 20% of the turbines are reconditioned each year is an excellent practice. For efficiency,

plan to have the up-tower technicians repair all three blades on the turbine at once. Once repaired, protective tapes and coatings can be applied to preserve the health of the LE between maintenance cycles. And while the techs are up there, other maintenance tasks can be accomplished—such as checking and repairing (as needed) the Lighting Protection System.

We are here to help—contact WES for a customized plan to fit your needs and budget.

L e A d i N g e d g e e r O S i O N

L e A d i N g e d g e r e S t O r At i O N

P r O C e S S• Fiberglass laminates restored to OEM specifications• Blade is restored to original shape• Template is used to confirm that airfoil matches original specs• Flexible tough fairing compound is used• After restoration, LE should be protected with tape or coating

SuMMer ANd SAFetY

b y O T T O F R I T Z

Greetings wind fans. Winter is behind us and the heat is on!

It’s time to focus on the dangers of the hot weather. At WES our teammates are carefully trained on many topics and specializations, including annual individual safety training conducted per OSHA/ANSI regulation. We are now refreshing everyone on heat-related safety precautions, and I thought to share a few important ones with you from our friends at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Wishing you a safe and windy summer.

Protect Yourself: Avoid heavy exertion, extreme heat, sun exposure, and high humidity when possible. When these cannot be avoided, take the following preventative steps:

Monitor your physical condition and that of your coworkers for signs or symptoms of heat illnesses.

• Wear light-colored, loose-fitting, breathable clothing such as cotton. Avoid non-breathable synthetic clothing.

• Schedule heavy work during the coolest parts of day.

• Take more breaks when doing heavier work, and in high heat and humidity. Take breaks in the shade or a cool area.

• Drink water frequently. Drink enough water that you never become thirsty.

• Be aware that protective clothing or personal protective equipment may increase the risk of heat-related illnesses.

ofritz@windenergyservicesusa.com.

u P C O M i N g e V e N t S

Sandia National Labs Wind turbine Blade WorkshopMay 30-June 01, 2012, Albuquerque, NM

AWeA WindPower 2012June 3-6, 2012, Atlanta, GABooth # 2255

SPRING 2012 3

OPERATION MANAGER’S

CORNER

Chris Harris Chris grew up and lived most of his life in a small town in Nevada. During those years he had many jobs ranging from customer service to a dispatcher at the sheriff’s office. He relocated to Washington and spent the next 2½ years on the job as a finish fiberglasser at a large yacht-building company. While there, Chris became interested in the wind industry. He attended school to become a wind technician. In 2011 he joined WES and is now approaching his first year anniversary.

As wind turbine OEMs confront a 2013 landscape with little promise of fleet expansion, some are focusing more attention on new product and service offerings that improve the revenue-generation firepower of installed equipment.

One thing we expect to see is more aggressive pursuit of long-term O&M contracts from the OEMs. Another will be offerings for improving the efficiency of installed turbines. These will be targeted to situations where either the original Wind Resource Evaluation was not accurate or areas of a wind farm aren’t sufficiently productive.

There are a number of ways that under-producing turbines can be improved. First, it’s possible to swap a rotor out for a larger diameter one. Blades can also be lengthened which was a common practice years ago. Modern analysis tools now make it possible to dynamically evaluate the turbine, minimizing the risk. This can shift the power curve to the left, aligning production level with the original expectation.

There are some important issues to consider before going forward: Will a larger rotor induce vibrations in resonance with others of the turbine? Will changes be needed to the controller? Different operating RPM or cut out may be necessary. And then, can the hub accommodate the longer blades? This assessment should be done up front and a product solution offered with facts and calculations that validate the business case for the upgrade.

What we are witnessing is that some owners are choosing to divert investment funds allocated for new turbines into programs for enhancing and maintaining the turbines they have in service.

Preventative maintenance and turbine tune-up is also coming into play as a smart money move for gaining efficiencies and improving the bottom line of farm operations. If you have interest in an ROI assessment on a preventative maintenance program for your operation, we’d be happy to provide one.

N e W i d e A S F O r

REvENuE ImpRovEmENt

At the AWEA WindPower show a new name will make an appearance for the first time— MFG Wind. Since the early days of the wind industry, WES’s parent, MFG has been a premium fabricator of blades and other composite turbine components. In 2008 WES was created as an entity within MFG with a dedicated focus on aftermarket field service for blades, nacelles and spinners.

As the industry has grown and matured, MFG’s offerings have expanded to fill the needs ofthe market. Today—from cradle

to grave—the company supports the full gamut of new product manufacturing and aftermarket services related to blades, nacelles, spinners and other composite products. Which is why it became apparent that an umbrella brand was needed to help customers understand how it all works together.

The benefits of working with a company that provides lifetime support can be explained in specific detail for the various life stages—but we simplify the big benefit to you as Quality Engineered Value. Whether the task at hand is fabricating a new blade or problem-solving a blade erosion problem in the field, MFG Wind brings composites knowledge that translates to added customer value.

For WES customers, this means that beyond the field services that you know us for, we can also provide factory services, spare parts manufacturing, blade reconditioning, and the largest and best-equipped in-house

laboratory in the composites processing industry for help when unusual problems arise.

For the entire story of MFG Wind, visit the new website at: www.MFGwind.com

4 THE GOOD WIND SPRING 2012

MFg Wind— Creating Value for Customers

3333 North Interstate 35Building 5Gainesville, TX 76240

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