Wind turbine collapses at Fenner Wind Farm in Madison County, cause not established

What happened

In December 2009 a 187-ton wind turbine toppled at the Fenner Wind Farm in Madison County. By 22 June 2010 investigators had not established why it fell. The farm's 20 turbines had been switched off since the collapse while the owner, Enel North America, investigated. Analysts hired by Enel found no problems with the foundation. A company spokesman said the foundation had been built to specification and that no corners had been cut on materials or construction. The company expected the farm to be running again by the autumn. No estimate had been given of the money lost in nearly six months without generation.

Contributing factors

The cause had not been established. Analysts found no problems with the foundation, which the owner said had been built to specification, with no corners cut on materials or construction.

Lessons learned

1. A foundation check that finds no defect does not by itself explain a tower collapse, so the rest of the investigation should stay open until a cause is established.
2. Switching off the other turbines while the cause is unknown limits exposure if the failure could affect similar machines.
3. Months without generation can be a material loss even when the operator has not yet quantified it.

Source

cnycentral.com