Published

1 year ago

February 17, 2024

Alice Rush

If the thought of implementing clean energy in your home is daunting, you are not alone. For many of us, even small steps like small-scale energy efficiency upgrades, and especially larger ones like installing rooftop solar panels, seem like unattainable goals, especially when the costs for each upgrade keep racking up.

It is important to remember that not every upgrade has to be done at once, and that there are resources and funding available to help make energy upgrades more affordable. As part of the Clean Energy Generation, you can choose to make home energy upgrades to benefit you and your family’s health, save money on energy bills, and play a part in making your community safer and cleaner, no matter your age, income, zip code, or abilities.

Larry Heiman from Dunwoody, Georgia, is one member of the Clean Energy Generation who is tackling energy inefficiencies and carbon pollution in his home by making home energy upgrades – and he had a little help. Larry has taken advantage of tax credits and rebates from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and his local utility company almost every step of the way as he has made his clean energy transition. This financial support made his choice to take the leap to tackle inefficiencies less daunting. Throughout this process, Larry has learned a lot about clean energy and about how to take advantage of available resources, and now he is spreading the word to his community.

Tune into our next Clean Energy Generation webinar on Friday, March 1 from 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM ET to hear more from Larry and SACE staff about how each of us can play a role in the Clean Energy Generation by making home energy upgrades, and read on to learn about Larry’s path to using clean energy in his home, the financial incentives his family used along the way, and how he’s sharing what he’s learned to help others.

What was the first way you took advantage of tax credits and rebates from both the IRA and your local utility?

I’ve always been interested in and worried about climate change, but as far as my own personal life, I didn’t take any action until last year. I had learned about and followed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and thought a lot of it could be applied widely, so I figured why not dive in and do something myself. That’s how it started, and I chose to start with my car. The first thing we did was buy an EV last April with the help of a $7,500 rebate.

Shortly after, we installed a level two EV charger, which we did not get any tax credit for from the IRA because we are not in an eligible census tract. Much of Georgia and the Southeast in general does fall into eligible tracts, like lower-income or rural, and can receive a 30% tax credit on EV charger installation costs. In the end, we did get a rebate from Georgia Power, so it’s good to check with your utility for those.

Our EV is our workhorse car – we use it to take our daughter to school and drive to work, and we try to use it any time we drive around town. Very recently, we were able to trade in my old car for a plug-in hybrid EV, but before that, we had the one EV. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing – or all new off the lot. Now, many people can get up to a $4,000 tax credit on certain pre-owned EVs at the dealer.

What energy efficiency measures have you taken around your house, and how did you get started with those?

After buying our EV, we installed solar panels in July 2023, but in retrospect, I would not recommend installing solar first to electrify your home. The energy efficiency work instead should be the baseline – it’s like putting a bandaid over paper cuts all over your house.

We bought our house in Dunwoody, Georgia 10 years ago. It’s 53 years old and your average two-story home, built in an era where people didn’t care or know too much about energy efficiency. To learn how to make the house more energy efficient, I’ve had two energy audits: first through my utility with a rebate, and second through a local HVAC contractor. The second audit was the most useful. I got a detailed report from tests they conducted around my house, such as a blower door test. They pointed out places around my home that could be sealed better, from most important to least important.

For example, we have a basement that has heating and cooling, where it’s not as important for us to air seal between that space and the first floor because the exchange of air is about the same temperature. But in our unconditioned attic, they checked how the insulation is holding up and where air sealing is needed, and they showed me that there are many places where air passes in and out of our attic, like around recessed lighting receptacles, the door to the attic, and holes where wires pass through. So they recommended caulking each air leak on a hole-by-hole basis and adding better insulation, or spray foaming the attic, which is insulation and an air sealing solution all at once.

So this year, we plan to do the attic air sealing and insulation improvements to save on energy bills immediately, and to prepare our home for installing a heat pump in the near future, so that our home can be heated and cooled more efficiently. To offset some of the cost of the air sealing and insulation, we plan to use both tax credits from the IRA (25C tax credit of up to $1,200 per year) as well as rebates from Georgia Power. When we one day replace our existing HVAC system with a heat pump, we can also receive a tax credit on that of up to $2,000.

So far, we’ve done little things ourselves, like door weather stripping and baseboard caulking. If you want to do some work yourself, you can buy the weatherization materials and save the receipts for an IRA tax credit – it adds up, and there are all sorts of home weatherization materials out there to get started.

How have you used tax credits and rebates to install solar panels on your home?

To get started with solar installation, I went to a kickoff event for a local solar installer in May 2023 and had someone come do a consultation, then the panels were installed in July. Thanks to the 25D tax credit in the Inflation Reduction Act, we will receive a 30% tax credit from the IRA on the total cost of the project.

My utility, Georgia Power, does not offer net metering to new rooftop solar owners. Instead, Georgia Power credits us less than half of the retail electricity rate for electricity we export back to the grid – or, the excess of power our solar panels produce but that our house does not consume at that time.

Therefore, it is economically advantageous for us to use the electricity our solar panels generate right when the panels produce it, instead of letting that electricity flow back to the grid. For this reason, we make sure to plug in one of our EVs whenever one of us is home during the day, using the “slow” charger to lengthen the time of the charging session to last the whole day. We also do laundry or other electricity-consuming activities during the day when our panels are producing electricity, rather than at night.

In the future, we may consider installing a battery storage system to complement our solar panels. There is also a 30% federal tax credit for residential battery storage systems provided in the IRA. With a battery storage system, we could store the electricity our solar panels produce, and then use that electricity to power our home during power outages and/or to power our home at night, instead of paying for electricity from the grid.

How are you involved in your community to encourage others around you to take clean energy action?

A goal of mine is to create a group of like-minded citizens to collaborate to promote decarbonization in the community at large, among residents and businesses. The group could hopefully provide education on ways to decarbonize and save money, maybe even offering in-home advice to homeowners and renters. This group would not be limited to Dunwoody, but I felt that it would be best to start by targeting people in my general area. This is what prompted me to get in contact with people who have also signed up with the Clean Energy Generation in my area.

Since last May, I have been on the Dunwoody Sustainability Committee. There are a number of items in the City’s Sustainability Plan, enacted in 2021, that relate to energy efficiency and clean energy that I will be working to get action taken on.

The first action I’ve taken is calculating a greenhouse gas inventory for my local government’s operations, like city buildings and the police vehicle fleet – I teamed up with a professor and his students to work on this in 2023. The results of this greenhouse gas inventory provide a starting point to measure the effects of actions the City takes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We just received the outcome of the inventory, and my first action is going to be meeting one-on-one with members of the City Council and the mayor to implore them to demand action from City administration.

Why do you think it is important to implement clean energy in our homes and communities?

For me, the most important reason was first the environmental concern, specifically global warming, but saving money and keeping my family healthy are big benefits for sure. I am trying to encourage others to do what they can to decarbonize, so it would be a bit hypocritical not to first do what I can myself with my own personal infrastructure. Plus, going through this personally will give me a chance to learn about the processes so I can then pass on tips to others, hopefully.

GET INVOLVED IN THE CLEAN ENERGY GENERATION

As members of the Clean Energy Generation, we all have the power to take action and make a difference where we can in reducing our environmental impact. Like Larry, we can explore energy upgrades to make our homes more energy efficient and comfortable, as well as the methods to help make these changes more affordable – and then we can share what we learn with our communities.

You don’t have to be a clean energy expert to make an impact – just ready to learn and excited to make a difference.

Remember to tune into our next Clean Energy Generation webinar on Friday, March 1 from 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM ET, where Larry and SACE staff will talk about the ways each of us can play a role in the movement through making home energy improvements, plus the funding that is available to help make them more affordable. There will be plenty of time for questions and answers. We hope to see you there!

Join the Movement

Take Action With Us

#CEGMemberStories

The post Larry Heiman: A Year of Affordable Home Energy Upgrades Leads to Building Community appeared first on SACE | Southern Alliance for Clean Energy.

Larry Heiman: A Year of Affordable Home Energy Upgrades Leads to Building Community

Renewable Energy

Is Tesla Powerwall Worth It For Australian Houses In 2025?

Published

13 hours ago

July 11, 2025

Alice Rush

Australia, a country of vast open space and abundant sunlight, has firmly established itself as a global leader in rooftop solar adoption.

According to recent data, the country has over 3.9 million rooftop systems installed, yielding a combined capacity of approximately 37.8 GW of PV. This remarkable achievement reflects the country’s strong commitment to a sustainable energy future.

But what happens when the sun goes down or when the grid fails?

Yes, that’s where home battery storage steps in, and no name resonates more loudly than Tesla Powerwall!

With the release of the Powerwall 3 and evolving energy landscapes, many Australian homeowners are asking: Is a Tesla Powerwall still a worthwhile investment in 2025?

If you’re an Australian looking for a home solar battery, Tesla Powerwall is arguably the most popular home battery on the energy market right now.

So, here’s why Tesla Powerwall could be worth it for your Australian home!

In this blog post:

But First, What Is Tesla Powerwall?

Back in 2015, Tesla ventured into the energy storage market with the Tesla Powerwall, a home battery system. This battery system is specially designed to store energy, mitigating the intermittency of renewable energy sources.

Although Tesla was globally recognized for its electric vehicles, the launch of the storage battery, the Tesla Powerwall, marked another bold leap for the company.

This home energy storage is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that can keep your home illuminated 24/7 with reliable power and significantly reduce your electricity bills.

Powerwall’s smart system can be tailored to your specific energy requirements. This battery can be charged from solar energy, ensuring that power is always available on demand. It essentially serves as a backup power source for nighttime or cloudy days.

Following their initial release in 2015 in limited quantities, Tesla has continually expanded its energy lineup with larger-scale solutions.

In 2025, Tesla’s lineup includes three Powerwall models: Powerwall 2, Powerwall+, and Powerwall 3. Each model offers 13.5 kWh of usable energy storage.

In Australia, Powerwall+ and Powerwall 3 are designed for new solar and storage system installations, which involve integrating solar inverters for higher efficiency. At the same time, Powerwall 2 is often used for retrofitting existing solar systems.

Now, they also offer different categories, such as the Powerpack, designed for commercial and industrial use, and the Megapack, engineered to support utility-scale grid operations, among others.

How Does Powerwall Work? Find Out!

In general, the Tesla Powerwall is a rechargeable home battery system that stores energy for later use while providing essential security and financial benefits.

It works seamlessly with solar panels or the electric grid to manage energy supply and demand in your home.

It includes energy monitoring, metering, and smart controls, which the owner can customize and control via the Tesla app.

The system then learns and adapts to your energy consumption slowly over time. It receives over-the-air updates to add new features and improve existing ones.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how it works:

Step 1: Energy Collection

With Solar Panels

Your solar panels usually generate electricity during the day. From that, some of this energy powers your home, while the excess charges the Powerwall battery.

Without Solar

If you don’t have solar panels, the Powerwall can charge using electricity from the grid when rates are low, for example, at night.

Step 2: Energy Storage

The Powerwall stores the unused electricity in its lithium-ion battery.

This stored energy is saved for when you need it most, like during peak usage times, at night, or during a power outage.

Step 3: Energy Usage

When solar production drops or the grid goes down, the Powerwall automatically kicks in, supplying your home with clean, stored renewable energy.

Depending on its configuration, it can power lights, appliances, and even critical systems, such as hot water heat pumps or air conditioners.

Step 4. Intelligent Management with the Tesla App

The system learns your energy usage patterns and optimizes when to charge or discharge.

You can monitor and control everything through the Tesla app, giving you real-time insight into your energy use, storage levels, and solar generation.

The Australian Energy Rollercoaster: Why Batteries Are More Relevant Than Ever?

Undoubtedly, Tesla Powerwall 3 is one of the most exciting innovations to hit the market in recent years. Tesla’s next-gen home battery is designed to supercharge solar systems and dramatically reduce the reliance on the grid.

For Australian homeowners, it’s a total game-changer, offering a smarter way to store solar energy and power homes more efficiently than ever before.

Curious about the other benefits of the Tesla Powerwall 3? In the following part, we’ve rounded them all up for you:

Powerwall Batteries Maximize Self-Consumption

Using your own solar power, especially during the expensive evening peak, saves you significantly more than exporting it to the grid.

The Powerwall stores your excess daytime solar to power your home at night with free, clean energy.

Battery Storage Reduced Electricity Bills

Adding a Powerwall battery to your solar panel can drastically reduce your reliance on grid electricity during peak hours, leading to substantial savings on your energy bills.

Some reports suggest adding solar batteries has reduced electricity bills by over 70% in many Aussie homes in the past few years.

Ensure Energy Independence & Security

The Powerwall provides seamless backup power for essential appliances, ensuring your lights stay on, your fridge stays cold, and your devices stay charged during any unexpected blackouts.

Smart Energy Management

The Tesla app provides intuitive monitoring and control over your energy usage. You can track your solar generation, battery charge, and household consumption in real time.

This allows you to optimize your energy habits and maximize savings.

Virtual Power Plant (VPP) Participation

Through VPP, you can earn money by letting your battery support the grid during high-demand hours.

This will benefit your wallet and contribute to a more stable and renewable energy network for everyone.

Environmental Impact

Batteries can reduce your reliance on fossil fuel-generated electricity, significantly lower your carbon footprint, and contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable future for Australia.

Increased Home Value and Building Aesthetics

Homes with solar and battery systems are increasingly attractive to buyers. They often command a premium due to lower running costs and increased energy resilience.

Tesla Powerwall 2 vs Powerwall+ vs Powerwall 3: The Evolution of Home Energy

Tesla’s Powerwall series has become a symbol of energy independence. From the Powerwall 2 to the all-in-one Powerwall+, and now the game-changing Powerwall 3, Tesla continues to push the boundaries of home energy storage.

Let’s break down what makes each Powerwall unique and why Powerwall 3 is the most powerful one yet.

Tesla Powerwall 2: The Energy Game-Changer

Launched in 2016, the Powerwall 2 was a massive leap in energy storage for homeowners.

It is ideal for those with existing solar systems or those seeking basic backup and energy optimization.

Key Highlights:

13.5 kWh usable capacity, which is sufficient to power an average home overnight.

5 kW continuous power output.

Backup power during outages.

Sleek wall-mounted design.

App-controlled smart energy management.

Powerwall+: Energy Storage Meets Solar Intelligence

The Powerwall+ is built on the foundation of Powerwall 2 and adds a major upgrade: an integrated solar inverter.

Why It’s Smarter:

Same 13.5 kWh battery capacity.

Higher peak power output (up to 7.6 kW)

Integrated solar inverter with 4 MPPTs (Maximum Power Point Trackers)

Optimized for real-time solar generation and storage.

Powerwall 3: The Energy Upgrade Your Home’s Been Waiting For

Announced in late 2023 and rolling out through 2024, Powerwall 3 is Tesla’s most powerful home battery yet. It’s designed to meet modern energy needs, including higher loads, faster charging, and seamless integration with large-scale solar systems.

What’s New:

11.5 kW of continuous power, which is more than double Powerwall 2

Still offers 13.5 kWh capacity.

Integrated solar inverter with expanded capabilities

Designed for quicker installation and lower labor cost

Ideal for large homes, EV charging, or heavy appliance use

So, with all these incredible upgrades, making it smarter, more efficient, and future-ready, don’t you think Tesla Powerwall is worth it?

What else could you ask for? We’re pretty sure this is the battery your home’s been waiting for!

The Actual Cost of a Tesla Powerwall: Is it Worth It?

Let’s not sugarcoat it, a Tesla Powerwall is a significant investment. As of mid-2025, the Powerwall 3 unit itself costs approximately AUD 11,900, with the essential Backup Gateway 2 adding $1,700. This brings the total hardware cost to approximately $13,600 AUD.

Installation costs can range from $1,000 to $ 2,500 or more, depending on your location, system complexity, and the installer.

This puts the total installed cost of a single Powerwall 3 in the ballpark of $14,600 to $16,000 AUD.

While this might seem steep, it’s crucial to factor in the various incentives and potential savings.

The Australian Government’s Rebates and Incentives in 2025

Good news for Australian homeowners! 2025 is a sweet spot for solar battery rebates, with a significant federal program coming into play:

Federal Cheaper Home Batteries Program (Starts July 1, 2025)

The Australian Government has announced an upfront discount of approximately 30% on the cost of installing eligible small-scale battery systems (between 5 kWh and 50 kWh).

For a 13.5 kWh Tesla Powerwall 3, this could translate to a rebate of around $4,725. The discount is based on usable capacity and will gradually decrease until 2030, making 2025 the optimal time to jump in.

The discount is applied upfront by accredited installers, making it easy for consumers.

State-Based Incentives

While the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) battery rebate ends on June 30, 2025, it will be replaced by an expanded Virtual Power Plants (VPP) incentive from July 1, 2025, offering a single upfront payment of up to $1,500.

Other states like Victoria (interest-free battery loan up to $8,800), ACT ($15,000 interest-free loan), and Western Australia (up to $7,500 rebate and loans) continue to offer their own incentives.

Altogether, these rebates dramatically lower battery costs, often by 30–50%, making the Powerwall 3 far more accessible.

Top 5 Tesla Powerwall Alternatives Available in Australia

The Australian battery storage market is vibrant and competitive. While Tesla is a dominant player, several other reputable brands also offer excellent alternatives.

Looking for something beyond Tesla Powerwall?

Here we’ve listed some of the best battery brands in Australia in 2025:

LG Energy Solution RESU: Known for their reliability and various capacity options.
BYD Battery-Box: A popular choice for its modularity and competitive pricing.
Sungrow: Offers a range of battery solutions, often paired with their inverters.
Enphase Encharge: A good option for microinverter-based solar systems, offering modularity and resilience.
Alpha ESS: Alpha ESS battery provides integrated solar and battery solutions.

Parting Thoughts

Tesla’s Powerwall ecosystem offers energy resilience, grid independence, and smart control. With the release of Powerwall 3, Tesla is responding to the growing demand for higher capacity, smarter tech, and easier installs.

In Australia, the home battery market is gaining traction, with data showing that the majority of homeowners are opting for the Tesla Powerwall.

So, whether you’re going solar for the first time or upgrading your energy system, the Powerwall lineup has top-notch options tailored for your home.

By the end of 2021, battery installations had increased by 400%, and the majority chose the Tesla Powerwall. With our affordable solar packages, you can make your dream of owning a Tesla Powerwall a reality.

Still unsure?

Contact a certified installer, such as Cyanergy, to explore your options tailored to your home, location, and future needs. Get a free quote today and learn more about the Tesla Powerwall battery price, rebate availability, and installation details.

Your Solution Is Just a Click Away

The post Is Tesla Powerwall Worth It For Australian Houses In 2025? appeared first on Cyanergy.

Is Tesla Powerwall Worth It For Australian Houses In 2025?

Renewable Energy

IWTG Consulting Addresses Turbine Failures

Published

2 days ago

July 10, 2025

Alice Rush

Weather Guard Lightning Tech

IWTG Consulting Addresses Turbine Failures

Jon Zalar, founder of IWTG Consulting, discusses the challenges of wind turbine maintenance, emphasizing the rise in turbine failures and the importance of root cause analysis (RCA). Proactive maintenance, proper documentation, and expert consultation will help to mitigate issues and ensure turbine efficiency.

Sign up now for Uptime Tech News, our weekly email update on all things wind technology. This episode is sponsored by Weather Guard Lightning Tech. Learn more about Weather Guard’s StrikeTape Wind Turbine LPS retrofit. Follow the show on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Linkedin and visit Weather Guard on the web. And subscribe to Rosemary Barnes’ YouTube channel here. Have a question we can answer on the show? Email us!

Welcome to Uptime Spotlight, shining light on Wind. Energy’s brightest innovators. This is the Progress Powering tomorrow.

Allen Hall 2025: Jon, welcome to the program.

Jonathan Zalar: Thanks for having me,

Allen Hall 2025: Jon. Let’s start with the reality facing wind farmer operators today. What’s the core problem when it comes to turbine failures?

Jonathan Zalar: There’s been a larger number than they probably experienced like five years ago. I think, um, you know, the volume of turbines out there and some of the bigger issues that, you know, people are seeing in the last two to three years has made owning a wind farm a little more challenging than before.

Um, you know, between blade issues, bolted joint issues, shoes, and. Overall, like o operations, right? It’s been tougher to keep these turbines up and running, you know, manpower’s an issue, getting people out there to go fix stuff. It’s, [00:01:00] it’s been tough for a lot of people I’ve talked to.

Joel Saxum: Do you think this is a, a partial result of like, um, okay, so what we’re, you know, on the podcast in the last few years, we’ve always been talking about, oh, there’s all kinds of models coming out and there’s this, this manufacturer can put out this many different variations and all these things, and now.

Now we’re getting to the age where that family, that group of turbines that, I guess it’s kind, I’m looking at it like a class, right? That class of, that, those years of turbines are now getting to the stage where they’re out of warranty and they’re coming into, some people are taking, you know, ISPs taking, um, maintenance of them or an owner operator taking maintenance over from the OEM.

And all of a sudden now there’s these issues popping up and different things that we’re, we’re kind of in this. Um, like a swamp of problems with a lot of different models. So, uh, yeah, like you said, we’ve we’re, we talked a little bit off air here about RCAs and how to fix things and looking at serial defects and stuff, but it’s just like, it seems like every other week [00:02:00] someone calls Alan Ryan’s like, Hey, have you heard about this thing with this model?

And it’s like, man,

Jonathan Zalar: another one. I think it’s a combination of two things. One. Like I talked about the last time we had podcasts, there was a, you know, a pretty big push to increase rotor size, come out with new models for, for every, for all the os, right? They’re competing against each other. Coming out with a new model every 18 months.

And you can ask Phil, but I believe mostly the OEMs are sold out. If you go back five, six years, where. A huge expansion in the amount of wind turbines that have been placed. Right. So I think you combine those cheap factors and now, yeah, the owners have a lot on their plate, a lot more than they’re

Allen Hall 2025: probably used to.

And my question all is this, the complexity of the turbines. So every new model that comes out, what I’m seeing is more instrumentation, more sensors, more stuff, more variability, even in where the components originate from.

Jonathan Zalar: Right? Yeah. [00:03:00] I mean, to increase, to be able to meet that increased demand the OEMs had to get, you know, a lot of different suppliers for bearings for, you know, maybe two or three different places to make blades, right?

Um, and you’re right about the complexity, right? So like these rowers are getting bigger. They were trying to keep as many components the same. So you need better sensing, better controls to, you know, keep those loads where they work.

Allen Hall 2025: And a lot of times, uh, when operators have problems, they don’t actually realize.

What to do or realize that maybe there’s a serial defect and how to address it and how to suss that out. Now the, the big question is, is like what’s at stake if the operators don’t implement some sort of proper root cause analysis? Uh, what does that sort of downward spiral look like? Because we have seen operators that do that, that, that don’t try to identify key issues with their turbines.

Jonathan Zalar: mean, at the end of the day, it costs money, right? So if the quicker you figure out an [00:04:00] issue and if it’s a solution for an issue, the quicker you’re gonna solve that problem for your site or your fleet. Um. Also like making sure you’re communicating with the OEM about your failures so that they can add them to their RCA if they’re working on one, for example.

The more data they have, it’s gonna help them come up with a more effective solution.

Joel Saxum: I think you’re, you’ve gotta, how to put this? You have to have a specific engineering mindset. So of course we’re dealing with engineers all day long. We’re all engineers. We enjoy the engineering mindset. So it’s easy for us to quantify ROI and value add from an RCA, right?

So, hey, we’re gonna bring in an expert, or we’re gonna bring in a consultant, or whether it’s a, you know, a big one, A DNV, a UL type, or it’s a Jon Zalar, it’s gonna cost us a little bit of money, right? It’s gonna cost us. 5, 10, 20, 30 grand, what, whatever that is. But to us, that ROI is easy to quantify, oh, we had [00:05:00] this issue on this turbine.

We’re gonna spend 20 grand figuring out why, what, how, and how we fix it in the future. Well now we can avoid that blade failure. Next time we can avoid, you know, a de deductible on an insurance case, $250,000. So boom, we, if we save one of those, we paid for the whole RCA. It’s easy for us to do that in that engineering mindset, but to get, sometimes to get.

You know, an asset manager who may not have that engineering mindset, they’re just looking at, um, dollars and cents. They’re like, yeah, do we wanna spend this money? And, and I, I think that that’s a, uh, uh, a mindset, a, an action, an operation that, you know, us as evangelists for engineering in the industry need to help because we can help it in a large scale, right?

Like if we, if we solve these problems through RCAs. Then we can avoid ’em in the future and it’s better LCOE for the entire fleet. That’s the goal,

Jonathan Zalar: right? Like even if you identify an issue and you have the ability to figure out how many [00:06:00] turbines are affected and like we use a Blade Blade issue, right? If you only catch the CAT five, that’s a much more expensive repair than a cat two or three.

So if you work with somebody to identify, hey, this lat or you know, this list of turbines have a better chance of having this problem, let’s inspect it a little more, for example. Or let’s proactively add some strength in one area that we know we’re seeing issues that could save a lot of money in the long run.

’cause blade repairs are expensive. They take time, weather out. It just adds up.

Allen Hall 2025: And what I see when Joel and I have been around a lot of, uh, wind turbines in the Midwest, is that the asset managers. Get a lot of complaints from the neighbors and the landowners. So if they have a blade break or they have some sort of bearing that’s going bad, that’s making a lot of noise.

It’s a constant set of phone calls from the surrounding landowners about this problem. So even in the simple things. That can be [00:07:00] fixed, turn into big problems because of all the associated people that are around it. I mean, Joel, you’ve, you’ve seen some of these cases where, like a bearing’s squeaking, okay.

And the neighbor complains, or a blade breaks and the, and the owner calls up and say, Hey, why is this blade in my front yard? Which has happened? And those are real life situations that, that. You know, re requires somebody with knowledge to catch them before they turn into that neighborhood problem. Yeah.

That’s

Joel Saxum: the intrinsic side of, of the return on investment, right? Like, you can’t measure that, but it’s valuable. And, and I, and we get, this concept comes up a lot to us because we’ve been doing a lot of work in Australia lately, and Australia has a different approach to their neighbors and how they work within things.

And it’s very, very, very hands-on. Where in the states sometimes you see like, oh, well, they’re a non-participating landowner, so we just kinda, you know, move on. And then you see the Facebook posts that are like, these turbines take a thousand gallons of [00:08:00] oil a year and they never run. You know? And if we can, as an industry, if we can avoid those things by getting on top of stuff with RCA, we can, we can get ahead of the game, right?

We can change the perception of, of renewables as we move forward. Um, which is, I mean, it’s a difficult battle, but that’s, as engineers, we can, we can help that fight. So I think that this is an important thing. That’s why we’re talking to you, Joe.

Jonathan Zalar: Yeah, I agree. I mean the, the video of the guy who was asking why it wasn’t turning, ’cause there was no wind.

I’ll never forget that one.

Allen Hall 2025: So how do we break this cycle of reactive maintenance and repeated failures? What should we be doing?

Jonathan Zalar: Continuing that relationship with the OEM, making sure you’re having those monthly quarterly calls, sharing information back to them and making sure that you’re getting the updated information from them.

Because, you know, all the major OEMs have like information letters they provide when there’s an a known issue and they give recommendations of what to do to fix it. And just making sure that you’re plugged in, especially the smaller owners that you’re plugged into the oem, just make sure you get that [00:09:00] information.

You know, some could be a parameter setting or a increase inspection or, or a safety concern as well. Just keeping that relationship I think is important.

Joel Saxum: So, Jon, so continue on that, that thread at what, at what point does. Because not everybody is able to keep that relationship really good. And sometimes OEMs don’t wanna share a little bit, at what point does an operator say, I’m taking on an RCA myself.

I’m going to get a consultant in here. Or we’re gonna take it on in our internal team. what, how do you make that call?

Jonathan Zalar: It’s looking at their relationship and if it’s not there, and that does happen. There’s breakups in the industry, if you will, and. You see three or four of the same failures at a, 50 wind turbine park.

it should be a little bit of a yellow flag. I wouldn’t say red yet, but one turbine fell over. That’s a red flag, and that’s when if you’re not getting what you need and you don’t know what to do about it, that’s when you call somebody else out because. [00:10:00] The next one’s gonna be just as expensive, and there could have been a way to make it either cheaper or not happen.

Allen Hall 2025: let’s, get down to specifics now, because I think a lot of problems in the United States are related to bolts at the minute, and I, this may be a worldwide problem, that there seems to be blade bolts and pitch bearing bolts that are. Have cracked or are failing in some unique ways. And I’ve seen more recently where operators are just replacing them.

Like they, they don’t think about it in a larger context of maybe there’s a problem here. Maybe I need to be flagging these things. And they don’t bring in an expert like you, Jon, to come in and do an RCA To suss this out, you want, can you give us just a little bit of background on what’s happening on the, blade bolt and pitch bearing bolt problem?

Jonathan Zalar: It is multiple OEMs are having. I think three or four different failure modes that I’ve heard so far between root inserts, just the bullet joint itself, and then potentially just some initial torquing issues. Um, I know from my experience there have [00:11:00] been update updates to the bold, the bolt torque.

Specifications. And back to my comment about the relationships, like if you’re not getting that information, then you might not know. You should have went back and retort all these bolts and now you have a couple fail. Fail. Right? And then also what you do about it, when you have one that comes out, do you replace just the one or do you replace four to the left and four to the right?

So d different solutions I have seen from different OEMs about what to do when you do have one particular bolt fail. Um, you know, there’s definitely some potential supplier concerns. ’cause like I said, there’s been so many turbines with so many bolts, like you’re gonna have some manufacturing issues. You can’t get over that With the volume of bolts that are out there.

Joel Saxum: Do you think the technology innovations in bolting and tensioning tools right now are gonna help or hinder. Bolting problem.

Jonathan Zalar: I think they’re gonna help. Um, you know, [00:12:00]torquing, big bolts have been a problem in multiple industries. Even when I worked in locomotives, you know, getting high torque to come out with the right size tool to be able to get in there, to go, to go put the locomotive back on the frame.

Right. It is a very hard job. And you had mean you looking at 92 bolts on one axis, then you got tower bolts. I mean, it’s a very, very boring job, I’m assuming for the people that have to do that. All the time and having tools that make it easier, have a, have a less chance of not hitting that torque value, setting something wrong, not putting the tool in properly at an angle, for example.

I, I think the more, at least what I’ve been seeing recently, the more money and effort people are putting into, like making bolted joints. Is gonna be worth it.

Joel Saxum: Well, and I think this is why, like this is the importance of an RCA, right? Because at that level of, say, new construction or repowers, people are just pointing fingers like, oh, the technicians did this wrong, or whatever, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Or you get an RCA specialist to come in and can do, you know, the [00:13:00]eight eight DRCA or if they throw an RCA and figure this thing out properly and be able to point to, well, actually there’s a. A metallurgical defect in these bolts and you know, it’s a supplier issue or, or maybe it does the RC may point, Hey, these guys were at the bar the night before they torked this one or something.

You

Jonathan Zalar: know? Or, or could be like crew a just happens to not pay attention or, or had or had the wrong information. They had the old bolted joint, this tribal knowledge.

Joel Saxum: Exactly. And speaking about the problem there, like if we’re down the line, say now out of warranty, and we’re looking at a bolted connection issue.

It may point to once you’ve stretched those bolts a certain amount, if you’re re torquing or changing torque specs or something along the way that’s done, like that’s cash, like that doesn’t, it doesn’t work like that called yield.

Jonathan Zalar: Yes.

Allen Hall 2025: Well, especially composites though, when you start talking about these bushings that are in the blades.

You pull them, they’re, they don’t recover. They just get damaged. It’s not like some metal and it can stretch. You don’t really stretch [00:14:00] composites. You break composites.

Jonathan Zalar: Right. Once it loose is once it’s loose, it is adherence, it’s done right. You have to go do something, get it back. And I know there’s some technologies out there trying to fix some of these inserts, but yeah, like once you do that damage.

It doesn’t heal itself.

Allen Hall 2025: Right. And I think there’s a lot of misunderstanding about that right now in the field because it, they’re not talking to engineers. They feel like, well, we’ll just cinch it back up and it’ll be okay. No, that joint is done. It’s done. You need to have somebody come in and look at it and give you some really good advice.

Joel Saxum: So to get to that level, Jon, you need to go through an investigation process. Can you give us some of the like, tips and tricks for the investigation process that like, that you know of, that you, that have helped you in the past? Data quality is very important,

Jonathan Zalar: like making sure, you know, like what turbine, which bolts, how many bolts, when did it happen, when were they last touched?

Like documentation is not always the best in the field. There’s a lot of handwritten stuff I [00:15:00] know that, you know. Companies are getting much better with electronic documentation, but that didn’t always exist in the beginning, like four or five years ago, surprisingly. Um, and then also like having the expectations where an RCA doesn’t take a month.

If someone, if someone calls you up and says, I need an RCA in a month, they don’t want RCA, that’s it. They’re not that fast. You really need to look at what’s going on, collect the data, put a hypothesis together, and. Validate or invalidate it and repeat if needed. And then you have corrective action. And that takes time.

That takes a commitment from the customer as well as you know, whoever they’re working with.

Allen Hall 2025: And that corrective action is the real key. But it’s hard to get to the corrective action if you don’t know what the root cause is. I see a lot of corrective actioning happening out in the field. Like they assume they know what’s happened, but not the details.

And you’re right, Jon, it’s gonna take more than a couple of days. To suss this out because there’s too [00:16:00] many variables and there’s not a lot of information, particularly when you show up on site. A lot of operators haven’t kept the real detailed records that you would need to be able to point it in in an afternoon.

Like, yes, this is it. Right?

Jonathan Zalar: Unless it’s a known issue that you’re not aware of and somebody else tells you, oh, yeah. G has his tail go do this, whatever this is. Right.

Allen Hall 2025: And how does that play out between the different OEMs at the minute? Are they basically providing the same level of information about, uh, known problems?

I have very little experience with like, um, I don’t know. Intercon for example, I haven’t seen a lot of Intercon service bulletins. I’ve seen Seaga Mesas and GEs Iveta. They’re pretty on top of it, but there’s other turbines that are out there, Solan. Well, how does that work?

Jonathan Zalar: That’s a very good question.

’cause I’m not seeing very many from Intercon or Solan either. And I believe they have some bigger companies that are responsible for them now. Um, [00:17:00] it’d be interesting to see. What kind of level that a turbine, that old without, you know, their OEM’s gone. Right. Someone else bought ’em out at some point.

Allen Hall 2025: Well, it’s like the Mitsubishi 1000 A’s, which is a really good example because a lot of the Mitsubishi 1000 A’s, and there are a number of them still in the states are, are being repowered at the minute.

So they’re gonna have another 20 years of lifetime. But I, you know, Mitsubishi probably doesn’t really provide a lot of service on those. What do you do? If you have an issue on a Mitsubishi or an old Suland machine or even an old GAA machine, where are you going to get help? I

Jonathan Zalar: mean, you, you really need to go to like an independent engineer that has that kind of experience, you know, hopefully with that particular turbine model.

But if not, you know, people who do follow known RCA processes, we will be able to like work through issues like that.

Allen Hall 2025: Is there a network of RCA people in the industry? I know you. Because you’re the [00:18:00] best. So, I mean, I’m talking to you all the time, Jon. I’ve seen this problem of the turbine tell me what’s going on.

But is there a, a general network of people that are just out there focused on solving these problems?

Jonathan Zalar: I don’t think the market’s huge in that right now. I mean, yes, there’s some independent people like myself, and then you have your DNB Leidos, those type of companies that that will do RCAs. But I don’t think they have dedicated RCA teams.

I think. The OEMs are the ones with the dedicated OEMs and then a handful of people like me.

Allen Hall 2025: So let’s, let’s walk through that for a minute, because one of the questions that pops up when someone’s trying to solve a problem is like, why not bring in a big organization like the one you just mentioned to, to do the RCA?

Like we, we, we’ve hired, uh, the three letter acronym to come in and do the RCR, the two letter acronym to come in and do the RCA. There’s a downside to that. I think I, I’m not always sure that the, the competency is there based [00:19:00] upon the, just what I see for the level of person that’s been assigned to that.

When they have so many RCAs and requests coming into the door, can they. Manage it at a level that you as the customer would be happy with.

Jonathan Zalar: I don’t deal with it too much, but you’re right, it, it will depend on the person you get Right. When you’re using one of the bigger one. Right. And you know, I’m sure some customers have the opposite, like, oh, I got the best guide or girl I could get for this.

Right.

Allen Hall 2025: Have you seen the varying in quality there, Joel? Like if you just call out the big name and pick up the phone and call the name. You don’t always know what you’re getting

Joel Saxum: there. We know, we know some really good people in the industry that has specific problems, but the trouble is, is scaling engineering expertise is tough.

Right. So like if you have a, you have a Jon Zalar on the phone, you get an awesome engineer that knows how to do RCAs, but you only get Jon Zalar, right? You, you, you can’t expand that. A million things like Jon Zalar can’t take out 58 RCAs this week because he’s Jon Zalar. Whereas, whereas I think that some of the [00:20:00] bigger houses, you get the strength of having a, uh, the larger team behind some of them where they can kind of spread some work out.

Or you may have an expert in fracture mechanics that he can look at this and somewhat so you have that with the larger teams, which I think is an advantage and you get some varying opinions in the room and you can really sort down to certain things. But at the end of the day it, it, it’s exactly that.

It’s an engineering expertise shortage

Jonathan Zalar: off. You know, it’s also nice when they have a good network. Of people that they’ve worked with in the past to bounce ideas off of. Because like if you’re the only one doing RCA all on your own, you’re gonna second guess yourself a lot. But like having somebody who does have.

A lot of contacts and colleagues in the industry. I think that’s very helpful.

Allen Hall 2025: Well, a new avenue for root cause analysis is looking at the service providers. I’ve noticed that, uh, you know, it’s one thing if a product comes to an OEM, you, you kind of know what you’re dealing with there. But when a company’s out there, uh, independent service provider or maybe some out there on a contract is [00:21:00] doing work on your turbine.

Now RCAs are looking into those service providers. Jon, are you involved with some of those discussions?

Jonathan Zalar: It’s, you know, not just the service provider, it’s even like who’s doing the work. Are they actually doing what they say they’re doing? Um, are they following the OEMs maintenance schedule correctly? Um, you know, especially some of the owners that farm out the whole operations to somebody else.

Double checking their work, I think is important just to make sure, I mean, you, even if you have total control and people, but just having a second set of eyes doing some quality checks. I, I, I don’t think that enough of that’s being done in the industry at this point. I think there’s opportunity to get

Joel Saxum: better.

The bird dog concept, right? The bird like oil and gas is bird dogs everywhere in the onshore, offshore. Anything you do, they gotta, they got a client rep who is rolling around making [00:22:00] sure things are done right. And I think we need that in wind too. And it’s not any different if you look at the same thing.

Remote operations people are like, oh, wind farms are all over the place. Like, have you looked at any other In industry, it’s the same thing.

Jonathan Zalar: It it, it’s harder. There’s more of them and they don’t move, like, you know, like a locomotive or automobile, right. Where they come to the shop and you can overlook, see what somebody did.

But yeah, like spending that money and effort on. Quality, I think could go a long way. And one of the ways would be the bird dog method that you suggested.

Allen Hall 2025: Yeah, I do think some of the issues we’re seeing in the field are related to particular groups that have touched the turbines, and maybe they just don’t have the latest and greatest information from the OE em, or maybe they’re just winging it, but either case, uh, the sampling there needs to happen and it really gets down to knowing what’s happening with your turbine.

And then when it doesn’t seem right. Getting an expert on site to take a look and make sure that your turbine is operating like you think it should and [00:23:00]it should be producing like it should, because if anything, we know right now production is key. We need those turbines up and running. Jon, you know, a lot of people call us and ask us, how do I get ahold of Za LR?

Do you have an email for Jon? How do people get ahold of you? I send ’em to your website, i wtg consulting.com. But they, you know, they want your mobile number, which I try to avoid giving them, but how do they, how do they reach you?

Jonathan Zalar: Um, the website, it’s got a form there. Um, they can also email me at Jay zr@iwtgconsulting.com.

Allen Hall 2025: Well, you can see Jon on LinkedIn. It has a lot of good posts on LinkedIn and you’ll see him. Around the country and the world at different symposiums and discussions about wind turbine operations. Uh, and you can always feel free to talk to Jon Jon’s easy to talk to. So Jon, so thank you so much for being on the podcast.

We love having you. Thanks for having me, guys. I appreciate it. It was [00:24:00] fun.

https://weatherguardwind.com/iwtg-consulting-failures/

Renewable Energy

The Lightning Diverter Problem with GE Vernova Blades

Published

2 days ago

July 9, 2025

Alice Rush

Weather Guard Lightning Tech

The Lightning Diverter Problem with GE Vernova Blades

A design that causes massive problems

As wind turbine operators continue to expand their fleets worldwide with larger turbines, bigger generators, and longer blades, the risk of significant lightning damage continues to plague the industry. Lightning is now the leading cause of unplanned turbine downtime for many operators. In years past, OEM warranties or insurance would cover the costs of repairs and business interruption. Those days are gone. OEMs have eliminated lightning damage from warranties and insurance companies are dramatically raising rates, or eliminating coverage, for lightning damage. That leaves operators exposed to millions in repair bills every year.

The SafeReceptor ILPS System

The basic lightning protection systems for LM Wind Power blades has been two small, coin-sized receptors placed on either side of the blade tip. Designated as the SafeReceptor ILPS, the receptors are connected to an insulated metal cable that runs through the center of the blade which connects to the hub, nacelle, tower and eventually earth. Certified to IEC61400-24, the SafeReceptor ILPS has been used on most onshore LM Wind Power blades since 2011.

LM Wind Power would, occasionally, place a special, additional lightning protection feature onto their blades. Patented in 2005, this lightning add-on contained a line of stainless steel cross-shaped buttons in a soft, gray-colored sealant which formed a segmented lightning diverter. As lightning approached a blade, the LM segmented lightning diverter helped guide the lightning to the receptor, lowering the chance of lightning damage to the blade.

LM Wind Power, and eventually TPI Composites, used the LM Wind Power segmented lightning diverter. Most installations of the LM segmented lightning diverter placed the device behind the receptor – using the receptor to block rain and airflow impact. The reason? If the LM Wind Power diverter was directly exposed to the wind and rain it would eventually degrade.

Remarkably, the LM diverter strip was used sparingly, or not at all, on the LM/TPI 56.9m and 62.2m blades. As it turns out, the 56.9m / 62.2m are unusually vulnerable to lightning damage. In a WGLT study of over 900 GE Vernova onshore turbines in Texas and Oklahoma with blades exceeding 50m, the rate of lightning damage was approximately 1 in 5 strikes. The industry standard for lightning damage is roughly 1 in 50 strikes per the IEC standard. That results highlight a gigantic risk for wind turbine operators.

Presumably in response to these high damage rates, GE Vernova has introduced LPS “improvements” to the 56.9m and 62.2m blades. Two additional receptors have been added to the blade approximately 3m from the blade tip. Also, LM Wind Power diverter strips have been added to every receptor; with short pieces behind the tip receptors plus long pieces behind and in front of the two receptors down the blade.

The Lightning Diverter Problem with GE Vernova Blades — Latest GE Vernova 62.2m Blade Design

This is a risky decision by the blade designers at GE Vernova. Most lightning strikes occur when blades are pointed upwards towards the sky – and segmented lightning diverters provide maximum protection when they are also pointed towards the sky. GE Vernova placed the LM Wind Power diverters parallel with the airflow over the blade – perpendicular to the sky – which dramatically lowers their lightning protection ability.

Why are the LM Wind Power diverters not oriented upwards towards the storm clouds? Our research indicates that exposing the broad side of the diverter to rain erosion causes the part to fail.

Several years ago, Weather Guard Lightning Tech developed an accelerated rain erosion test rig to mimic rain erosion that appears on aircraft nose radomes and wind turbine blade tips. This test sprays water droplets onto test samples at 135 m/s (300 mph) and has yielded accurate predictions for lifetimes. WGLT examined the durability of the LM Wind Power diverters in our accelerated rain erosion test rig. The results were astonishing. The LM Wind Power diverter failed in under 1 minute for every orientation.

And here are the images of the test articles after rain erosion testing.

Sample 2 Post-Test 90 Degrees to Face of Diverter

Sample 5 Post-Test 0 Degrees to Side

Sample 6 Post-Test 0 Degrees to Leading Edge

Now, what does this mean for the lightning protection for your GE Vernova wind turbine blades with LM Wind Power diverters? You need to monitor the diverters for damage and peeling off the blade. Missing metal segments from a diverter or sections of diverter that have separated from the blade need to repaired or replaced.

What’s the risk? Your blades are susceptible to significant lightning damage which could cost you $$$.

For more information about StrikeTape lightning protection technology and installation services, contact Weather Guard Wind at 1.413.217.1139 or info@wglightning.com.

About Weather Guard Wind: Weather Guard Wind specializes in advanced lightning protection solutions for wind energy applications, with installations protecting turbines worldwide in the most challenging lightning environments.

https://weatherguardwind.com/the-lightning-diverter-problem-with-ge-vernova-blades/