CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY SIMONSFELD
CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY SIMONSFELD
Windkraft Simonsfeld – Massive cost reduction with Rotor Ice Control
Situation
Loss of earnings and avoidable costs due to unnecessary service and maintenance work.
Customer Benefit
Higher availability and reduced service calls through fos4X ice detection.
Umsetzung
Installation of fos4X Rotor Ice Control in all of the operator’s turbines.

“The reliability and performance oft he fos4X ice detection system is convinc-ing in our wind farms all along the line. The systems will have paid for them-selves in our wind farm Kreuzstetten in the 2nd winter already.”
Dieter Schreiber, Director Monitoring and Innovation, Windkraft Simonsfeld AG
Situation
For the wind farms of Windkraft Simonsfeld AG in Austria, particularly high yield losses due to frequent shutdowns caused by ice on the rotor blades proved to be problematic. The large number of service calls with visual inspection of the rotor blades took a lot of time. In addition, the lack of knowledge of the ice mass course caused unnecessary as well as avoidable operations for the service teams.
With the aim of minimizing loss of yield and coordinating service assignments at the optimal time, Simonsfeld sought solutions at fos4X.
Solution and Customer Benefit
The solution took the form of series-integrated fos4X ice detection systems that were installed on the turbines, replacing the previous system. These systems provide accurate ice mass monitoring and thereby allow to reduce the amount of visual inspections as well as to plan service interventions only when action is actually required. As a result, significantly lower losses due to downtimes were achieved.
Implementation
After the first contact some wind turbines of the wind farms were equipped with fos4X Rotor Ice Control systems, the results of which were analyzed and compared with the existing system. The fos4X Rotor Ice Control convinced with additional yields and an amortization time of less than 2 years. As a result, all remaining turbines were equipped with the fos4X Rotor Ice Control.
AEP Improvement
OPEX Reduction
Lifetime+
Situation
For the wind farms of Windkraft Simonsfeld AG in Austria, particularly high yield losses due to frequent shutdowns caused by ice on the rotor blades proved to be problematic. The large number of service calls with visual inspection of the rotor blades took a lot of time. In addition, the lack of knowledge of the ice mass course caused unnecessary as well as avoidable operations for the service teams.
With the aim of minimizing loss of yield and coordinating service assignments at the optimal time, Simonsfeld sought solutions at fos4X.
Solution and Customer Benefit
The solution took the form of series-integrated fos4X ice detection systems that were installed on the turbines, replacing the previous system. These systems provide accurate ice mass monitoring and thereby allow to reduce the amount of visual inspections as well as to plan service interventions only when action is actually required. As a result, significantly lower losses due to downtimes were achieved.
Implementation
After the first contact some wind turbines of the wind farms were equipped with fos4X Rotor Ice Control systems, the results of which were analyzed and compared with the existing system. The fos4X Rotor Ice Control convinced with additional yields and an amortization time of less than 2 years. As a result, all remaining turbines were equipped with the fos4X Rotor Ice Control.