Phazebreak Debuts Revenue Calculator
September 12, 2023
Graphs only tell so much of the story
In 2022, a Phazebreak customer was kind enough to share in-field data demonstrating the effectiveness of NEINICE coated turbines compared to their uncoated counterparts. The above graph they supplied shows a detailed progression of an ice event from a wind farm in Minnesota. In section 1, both the coated and uncoated turbines are performing at equal levels. In section 2, the icing event begins and both uncoated and coated turbines begin to experience a drop in output However, as the event continues, the uncoated turbines stop turning while the coated turbines are continuing to generate power. Section 3 shows the recovery stage as the event ends. The uncoated turbines are slower to reach optimal RPM’s, while the coated turbines are already at pre-event levels.
As a wind energy professional looking for new solutions for blade icing, this graph is helpful in demonstrating the benefits Phazebreak's NEINICE coating can have for wind turbines. However, it doesn't tell the full story. The question on any professional's mind is: how does this performance during an ice event translate into dollars and mega watts?
The Revenue Calculator fills in the blanks
In order to tell the rest of the story, Phazebreak worked in tandem with customers to create what we like to call our Revenue Calculator. By extrapolating real world data from case studies, Phazebreak was able to develop a simple program to help customers see how NEINICE could improve performance on THEIR windfarms, in terms of total mW/h and revenue increases.
The Minnesota graph covered an icing event that lasted over 6 days. Looking at the Revenue Calculator shown here, 5 NEINICE coated turbines that are generating an average of $199 per mW/h and an average increase of 11% in mW/h, will show an increased revenue of over $15,000 for this single ice event.
The coating cost for 5 turbines with NEINICE is generally in the $10,000-$12,000 range. In this event illustration, the 5 turbines will have re-couped all of the coating cost and generated a surplus. It is expected that NEINICE will perform for 3-4 years before requiring a re-apply. How many ice events will occur in the next 3-4 years and how much additional revenue will be generated?
Want to see how your wind farm could benefit? By navigating to the "Calculator" tab on the navigation bar, you can input the number of turbines on your wind farm, the Est. $mW/h your wind farm generates, and the time of your longest icing event. The calculator will then crunch the numbers and show you how much you could improve your wind turbine performance before your next winter storm!