operations and maintenance

Lubricants used outside their design working conditions can bite you in unexpectedly painful ways. The morning of Monday, December 1, found Marnie Surfaceblow, vice president of Surfaceblow and Associates

The global solar boom has introduced a new urgency around asset durability, performance, and risk. As utility-scale solar farms become more common, so do the invisible defects that compromise long-term generation and reliability. While traditional visual and infrared (IR) inspections are still a common practice, a more advanced diagnostic method is emerging as an invaluable […]

Jon De Martin, CEO of Australia-based SCE Energy Solutions, talks with POWER about his company’s work with solar power technology for commercial and industrial enterprises.

As power plants confront aging infrastructure, surging demand, and the sweeping changes of rapid electrification, operations and maintenance (O&M) are being redefined to tackle unprecedented challenges and

Effective maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) practices are vital for reliable turbine operation. Innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence and 3D scanning are transforming MRO processes

Predictive maintenance (PdM) is transforming power plant operations by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, and automation to prevent costly equipment failures. Learn about real-world

Utilities and power grid operators walk a fine line when it comes to providing reliable and resilient power while also protecting valuable assets in the electricity transmission and distribution system. Power

POWER is the one brand that addresses all electric power generation and related technologies and fuels across North America and around the world, providing insight into this increasingly complex industry. Established in 1882, it is dedicated to providing its global audience with exclusive analysis of the latest trends, best practices, and power generation and related […]

Deployment operations management (DOM) systems were born of necessity to help telecom, renewable energy, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and other critical-infrastructure developers tackle the simultaneous

Many combined cycle power plants (CCPP) and cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) plants utilize supplemental firing systems, or duct burners, inside the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) boilers

A California-based renewable energy company announced has several milestones, including that it has surpassed 20 GW of installed and awarded utility-scale solar and energy storage projects in America. SOLV Energy, headquartered in San Diego, also said it plans to bring about 4 GW of generation capacity online this year, and has another 3 GW of […]

As the solar industry matures, pressure for asset owners to deliver higher returns continues to mount.  Not surprisingly, so has the demand to improve operations and maintenance (O&M) efficiency – the single largest component of a utility-scale solar asset’s post-construction budget. Whether an asset owner performs O&M in-house, outsources to a third-party, or utilizes a […]

Turbines are by far the single most-costly piece of equipment for many energy businesses, which highlights the importance of lubrication for these assets. Although turbine oil could last for more than a

Extreme weather events are occurring more frequently and with greater severity across the U.S., from scorching heat in many areas to major hurricanes battering coastal regions. Throughout the U.S., utilities

Generating electrical power takes on many forms—hydroelectric, solar, fossil fuel, renewable, biofuel, nuclear, and geothermal, all of which are made up of many internal processes that together produce the power we rely upon. For those internal processes that handle fluids, pump performance is a major contributor to overall plant efficiency, making pump selection a critical […]

A successful clean energy transition depends on maximizing output and minimizing the costs of renewable investments.In particular, wind turbines are highly effective assets but require frequent detailed inspections and maintenance to ensure they are fully operational and maximize their energy production. This can be ‘easier said than done’ for many wind turbine owners and operations […]

We are currently witnessing the most dizzying pace of technological innovation in our lifetimes, if not ever. Our lives are becoming increasingly more digital, cutting out archaic and inefficient processes and saving time and resources in an impressive fashion. COMMENTARY In solar photovoltaic (PV), this digital shift is also occurring, albeit in a less obvious […]

Cogentrix Energy and Siemens Energy have partnered to optimize 8000H-class gas turbine reliability and outage planning. Under Cogentrix’s management, the Patriot site successfully upgraded one of its

Wind turbines must move farther offshore to gain greater efficiency. But the challenges associated with doing so are significant. At the Dutch village of Den Oever, just north of Amsterdam, the A7 motorway extends onto the Afsluitdijk, a 32-kilometer dike that separates IJsselmeer Lake and the North Sea. Near the midway point, approaching the village […]

Thermal power generation has to adapt new methods to thrive as renewables transform dispatch. Now used more often as a bridge source of power rather than the main source of power, many fossil fuel plants

Microgrids offer an ideal solution to counter the risk of weather-related power disruption by bolstering operational resilience, reducing dependence on local utilities, and lowering energy costs. However, the

As owners and operators of fossil fuel plants navigate through the energy transition, digital technology offers the opportunity to perform while transforming, balancing the energy trilemma of providing a

The technology group Wärtsilä has been awarded a three-year renewal to its Operation and Maintenance (O&M) agreement covering two power plants in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The importance of ensuring operational reliability and efficient maintenance is emphasised by the fact that these two baseload plants supply electricity for the entire country. The contract was signed with the […]

From toothbrushes to automobiles, earbuds to mobile devices, and toys to semi-trucks, lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery technology is finding its way into just about everything. As the demand for battery-powered

Industrial demolition projects of any scale are complex undertakings that require much more than just knocking things down and cleaning them up. Quite the opposite, in fact. Demolition, including of a retired

Control of work, or CoW, processes have a long heritage in the power and utilities sector, acting as an extension to an organization’s existing process safety management approaches. And these

Location-based information has played an important role in the utility industry for decades, but that history is just a prelude to the dramatically larger role it will play in the industry going forward

An innovative software program, coupled with an experienced team of engineers, allows plant operators to evaluate creep and fatigue stress in components exposed to more frequent cycling, thereby identifying

Tilting pad journal bearings are used in turbomachinery such as turbo compressors, turbo gears, gas turbines, or steam turbines. There is an ongoing and growing customer demand for bearings with increased

Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) is a combined electric/water/wastewater/gas municipal utility serving 600,000 customers in the Pikes Peak area in Colorado. The company was founded in 1922 and takes sustainability seriously. Water is especially important, and CSU operates a state-certified lab that analyzes more than 12,000 samples per year from CSU plants and another 4,800 from […]