WIND TURBINE BLADE OPTIMIZATION AND EFFICIENCY SOLUTIONS

Get to know us at edf-re.com/asset-optimization/ BLADE OPTIMIZATION AND EFFICIENCY SOLUTIONS Maximize the return on your investment

As the owner of a wind generation asset, your goal Working within your budget, we design a blade is to maximize power production over your project’s maintenance program that includes inspections and lifespan. Regular blade inspections and service repairs, protection to minimize or prevent future performed to the highest standards can help achieve damage, and upgrades like vortex generators to this by optimizing turbine performance. increase energy production. If an issue is discovered, we consult with you to formulate a plan that provides Many owners don’t prioritize blade inspections the optimal solution. and repairs until it’s too late and they experience a failure. Damaged blades are a major cause of wind project underperformance, and they can be costly to fix. Replacing a single blade can cost as much as a EDF RENEWABLES’ gearbox replacement. EDF Renewables recommends BLADE PROGRAM regular blade inspections to catch problems early, thereby minimizing downtime and the cost of repairs, Four Components: together with improving blade performance. • Inspection Comprehensive Solutions for Your • Repairs Specific Needs • Protection EDF Renewables has more than 30 years experience • Upgrades in wind turbine blade maintenance. As an owner- operator, we match industry-leading expertise with an understanding of project economics and the need Properly maintaining your blades is vital to to control costs. maximizing the performance of your turbines. You can rely on EDF Renewables’ extensive experience, We tailor our advanced blade inspection processes skilled technicians, and flexible offerings to deliver to the unique needs of your project while ensuring comprehensive solutions customized to your needs. a high level of performance, availability, and safety. Ask us how our Blade Maintenance Program can optimize your assets.

2 Our Most Valuable Resource is Our People

At EDF Renewables, the health and safety of our team EDF Renewables’ highly trained blade service experts members is our first priority. We’re committed to utilize industry-leading safety standards that protect creating a culture of safety that includes the health them and the equipment from hazards, and everyone and well-being of our employees, the environment, who works on our project sites must adhere to the our customers, and the communities where we do highest safety requirements. business. Our stringent safety practices require the use of As part of our dedication to safety, both in and out of specific equipment and protocols that include the workplace, we strive to inspire a set of common monitoring hazards and keeping detailed records practices that keep safety at the forefront of all our of safety incidents. EDF Renewables is a proud activities. recipient of a gold award from the American Wind Energy Association’s Safety and Health Excellence Recognition Program.

0.96 TRIR 1.09 TRIR 0.82 TRIR 0.84 DART 0.00 DART 0.82 DART U.S. 1,664,310 HRS 183,868 HRS 242,999 HRS MEXICO

Year End 2018 TRIR: Total Recordable Incident Rate DART: Days Away, Restricted or Transferred

3 Proper Blade Maintenance Begins with Regular Inspection

Wind turbines are typically designed for a service life of 20 years or more, but factors such as demanding mechanical loads and harsh environmental conditions subject them to damaging stress. Regular inspections are critical to reducing the risk of serious problems that could result in costly repairs and lost revenue, or even a catastrophic failure.

EDF Renewables’ Blade Maintenance Program leverages the latest technologies to deliver the best blade management and repair solutions for project owners, helping to maximize performance and extend the life of your wind generation assets.

4 Our advanced blade inspections employ the latest In addition to high-resolution photographs, advances in robotic drone automation and AI our inspection reports grade any damage and analytics to ensure accuracy and cost effectiveness. provide operating guidelines and customized recommendations so that repairs can be prioritized. We utilize high-resolution photographic inspections of each blade; this yields data that is standardized and quantifiable, and can be used to optimize blade life cycle management.

Blade Damage Grading 1 2 3 4 5 No immediate No immediate No immediate Repair at next Stop turbine and action required. action required. action required. scheduled repair. Annual Annual Inspect annually Inspect annually maintenance but inspection inspection and repair within and repair within no later than end recommended. recommended, 24 months. 12 months or after of low season. monitor damage the end of a windy Monitor damage for progression. season. with annual inspection.

5 High-Quality Repairs for Your Blades’ Needs

Robust maintenance and repair procedures are essential to ensure the structural integrity of wind turbine blades and prevent catastrophic failures. Over the course of more than 30 years, EDF Renewables REPAIR CAPABILITIES has successfully completed more than 600 utility- scale wind turbine blade repairs globally, and we are • Laminate repairs leaders in advanced blade repair processes that help • Lightning damage owners minimize downtime and maximize • Tip repairs power production. • Erosion repair (Leading Edge Protection) Our repair solutions offer a reliable and cost-effective • Blade close-outs way to restore damaged wind blades. All repairs • Blade/nacelle repairs during are completed by specially-trained blade repair initial turbine delivery technicians utilizing blade-specific procedures.

Our highly-trained technicians customize each repair is performed, using standardized processes to ensure based on the unique requirements of the blade type, that each repair is completed to the highest standards. the nature and severity of the damage, and even In addition, all EDF Renewables’ repairs are backed by the environmental conditions at the time the repair our standard warranty.

EFFECTIVE RESPONSE With Sky Climber Blade Repair Platforms located throughout , EDF Renewables is readily available to execute blade repairs on your site.

6 Lightning Damage Repair 1 2 3

Damaged material is A new tip is created using Repaired blade is ready to removed to provide custom molds and bonded be placed back in service. a structurally sound onto the undamaged foundation for the repair. portion of the blade.

7 Increasing Energy Production with Leading Edge Protection

Blades are exposed to severe and changing conditions Erosion of the leading-edge surfaces, if left unchecked throughout their lifecycle that can compromise and unprotected, inevitably leads to costly repairs. performance, leading to reduced annual energy EDF Renewables offers the application of 3M™ Wind production (AEP) and eventually causing extensive Protection Tape 2.0 as a Leading Edge Protection (LEP) downtime. solution that protects your blades from erosion and lasts two to three times longer than gelcoat.

Studies indicate that severe leading edge erosion can cause detrimental performance effects beyond standard roughness. Heavily eroded wind turbine blades can reduce annual energy production by up to 5% for a utility scale wind turbine.1

5.0

4.5

4.0

Predicted Production Loss 3.5 for NREL 5-MW turbine due to heavy leading edge roughness.2 3.0 % AEP Loss 2.5

2.0

1.5 Mean Wind Speed (m/s)

1Langel, C.M., et al., Analysis of the Impact of Leading Edge Surface Degradation on Wind Turbine Performance, in 33rd Wind Energy Symposium. 2015, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. 8 2Study by Sandia National Labortories (SNL) https://energy.sandia.gov/energy/renewable-energy/wind-power/ blade-reliability/leading-edge-erosion/ 9 Leading Care with Upgrade Repair Solution

The blades of large pitch-regulated wind turbines blade type and maximize blade performance by often have suboptimal aerodynamic properties at energizing air flow around the surface. This reduces the root. This frequently leads to undesired airflow flow separation and improves the performance of the separation – known as aerodynamic stall – and can entire turbine in terms of power, loads and service life. significantly reduce performance efficiency. Blade surface roughness and leading-edge erosion can VGs are applied using 3M™ Acrylic Foam Tape, cause further deterioration in performance. which accommodates the flexing and residual forces acting on the blade surface while still providing high Vortex Generators – Enhancing Efficiency adhesive strength in challenging weather conditions. at Every Turn They are precisely positioned based on field EDF Renewables has joined forces with 3M to offer aerodynamic flow visualization and the unique shape a highly reliable, quick-to-install aerodynamic and properties of each blade design. enhancement system called 3M™ Wind Vortex Generators (VGs). VGs are tailored to each specific

3M™ WIND VORTEX GENERATOR 3M™ Wind Vortex Generators are attached to the root section of a wind turbine blade at locations determined by a proprietary analysis.

10 Benefits of Using 3M™ Wind Vortex Generators

Address aerodynamic issues at the blade root caused by suboptimal blade design • Increased AEP, typically of 1.5 to 3%, has been confirmed in several case studies • Stabilized aerodynamics balance load effects of Vortex generators prevent unsteady wind conditions air flow separation in the • Lower noise levels due to reduced stall inner region of the blade. Profit from an economically viable upgrade opportunity that gives you peace of mind Blade with Vortex Generators low is • Designed for highest reliability and fast roll-out separated ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ • Leverages the joint competencies of EDF Vortex Renewables, 3M, and Smart Blade. Adaptable Generators to different blade types independent of turbine ■ low is manufacturer attached Blade without Vortex Generators • Proven in hundreds of existing installations Vortex Generators • Payback time of 1 to 2 years including installation, low is attached materials and downtime

11 1,252 796 100 12 327 400 .1 39 1,029 143 422 58 12 142 41 64 177 139 529 10 237 800 50 553 1,952 480 525 40

2,335 111 772

273

392

14 GW under contract GW under asset management 11 Megawatts 6,728 wind turbines Under Contract by state/province/country 1,932 solar inverters Onshore Wind, Solar & Offshore Wind MW 146 19 turbine manufacturers as of January 13, 2019

1,275 Asset Optimization experts

30+ years in the industry

Asset Optimization Go with Experts

We’re project owners too, so we understand that Optimize your turbine’s performance, reduce costs and you want the confidence that comes with receiving meet your Annual Energy Production goals with our transparent, objective advice. You can rely on us to be comprehensive Blade Maintenance Program. trusted stewards of your assets and treat your projects like our own. To learn more about what EDF Renewables can do for your project, please contact our Blades Services Experts Our experts have extensive experience working with at [email protected] virtually every turbine manufacturer and generation technology, and are committed to providing you with the same innovative solutions that maximize the performance of our own projects.

EDF Renewables 15445 Innovation Drive San Diego, CA 92128 Photo credits: Mark La Boyteaux, Joan Sullivan 2-2019 Get to know us at edf-re.com/asset-optimization/