FSC is a hub of wind technology and sustainable energy research, development, training and education, with certificate and “microcredential” programs in wind energy technology. The college is also a founding member of the OWTI.

“As a partner in the Offshore Wind Technology Insititute, we have a shared commitment to establishing offshore wind as an integral part of the energy and economic landscape on Long Island and throughout New York State,” said John S. Nader, president of FSC. “We are proud of our faculty, across the SUNY system and here at FSC, who are working on solutions to today’s important environmental and societal challenges.”

Submissions were accepted from applicants addressing one or more priority focus areas, which included expanding existing SUNY curriculums relevant to offshore wind; responding to rapid, targeted, training needs; addressing barriers to entry; long-term outreach to young students; community-driven awareness-raising efforts; and partnerships with connected or adjacent sectors. Proposals received additional consideration by focusing on equity needs, the transition of workers from other sectors, credentialing, and direct partnerships with the offshore wind industry.

“In partnership with Gov. Hochul and NYSERDA, SUNY is proud to help New York State lead the way in clean-energy economic and workforce development — which is an engine of upward mobility for our students,” said John B. King, Jr., SUNY chancellor. “This highly skilled, well-paid workforce will propel New York State’s clean-energy goals forward, while simultaneously positioning the state to lead the nation in renewable energy, including offshore wind. By developing programs to meet the demands of the offshore wind industry, SUNY can and will respond directly to employer needs to ensure our students are well prepared for this emerging field. I congratulate all of the selected SUNY campuses and look forward to supporting their progress.”

The first proposal receiving funding is FSC Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises (MWBE): Online Training Workshops for MWBEs and Small Startups in the Offshore Wind Industry ($258.5K). It will be a series of short, non-credit bearing workshops that will provide participants with educational opportunities without taking extended time away from their businesses, and they can apply the experience to their operations immediately. The workshops offer flexible and accessible training to MWBE’s and small startups at no cost to eligible learners.

Next is FSC Workforce Development: Offshore Wind Workforce Microcredential ($500K). A new microcredential program offers new courses and advanced training focused on offshore wind technology, to be completed in two semesters. The training component will be designed to address near-term or immediate needs in the offshore wind industry and focus on monitoring the structural integrity of wind turbine blades and diagnosing micro-cracks.

The last program is FSC Wind Turbine: Wind Turbine Technician Certificate Global Wind Organization (GWO) Training ($132K). GWO offers in-person safety training, applying mechanical and electrical engineering principles to the operation and maintenance associated with wind turbines using educational training equipment. The addition of GWO training to the academic credential offers two cohorts of participants the opportunity to explore the physicality of the profession, and better prepares graduates for the workforce. This training will be implemented in collaboration with SUNY Maritime College.

News item from Farmingdale State College

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The manufacturing assembly line will be installed in the building where GE Vernova today manufactures steam turbines and generators, and is anticipated to be completed by summer 2023, with the first set of components produced by early fall.

The recent passage of the Inflation Reduction Act has played an important role in today’s announcement, revitalizing the market, increasing demand for renewable energy and enabling energy security and competitiveness, the company stated in a press release. New York State has also agreed to provide up to $2.5 million though Empire State Development’s Excelsior Jobs Program.

“We applaud the administration for the recent domestic content guidance, which gives us the certainty to move forward on this exciting project and look forward to supporting additional guidance,” said Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova. “We’re proud to expand our American manufacturing footprint and workforce to continue building and innovating energy technology that is cleaner, by bringing wind turbine component assembly — and an estimated 200 new jobs — to New York. This state, and the Capital Region, are an important part of GE’s history and this investment will strengthen Schenectady’s role in driving the energy transition in the future.”

GE Vernova will assemble critical components for 6.1-158 onshore wind turbine in Schenectady, including the machine head, hub and drive train to help meet demand in the United States. The turbine is designed for low-to-medium wind speeds and is equipped with a carbon two-piece blade design, offering improved logistics and increased output from hard-to-reach sites.

GE has a 130-year legacy in New York state, which is home to GE Vernova’s Gas Power and Onshore Wind businesses and the company’s Global Research Center. Today’s announcement is in addition to GE’s $450 million investment into U.S. facilities announced earlier this year, including $11 million for Schenectady in capacity, facility maintenance, and equipment and tool management.

GE Vernova has received nearly 10 GW of orders and amassed more than 4 million operating hours globally for this turbine platform. The Onshore Wind business has been its primary provider of onshore wind turbines in the United States for the last five years according to the American Clean Power Association, and currently has a fleet of more than 54,000 wind turbines installed around the world.

GE Vernova is planned for a tax-free investment grade spin-off from GE in early 2024. The portfolio includes renewable energy, power, digital and energy financial services.

News item from GE Renewable Energy

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With legacy systems often utilizing aging approaches to capturing data or lacking the technology to recognize potential threats, ecoCMS Flex is designed specifically as an upgrade for legacy CMS systems. Operators can now upgrade existing legacy systems and reuse existing sensors and cables in the most efficient and cost-effective way

As ecoCMS Flex is compatible with any IEPE sensor, installation can be quick when compared with a full CMS system installation, with the replacement system taking around two hours to install depending on CMS types. As a result, ecoCMS Flex comes at a lower cost to fleet managers as they no longer need to carry out a full overhaul of their ageing systems, just the original CMS unit.

Dr John Coultate, VP of Advanced Sensing at ONYX Insight, said: “We encounter many legacy and ageing systems that are problematic for wind fleet operators who are often put off by the cost of replacing their current CMS. As a result, they are left with old systems which are lagging behind when it comes to providing the necessary insights needed to optimize their operations and maintenance strategies. ecoCMS Flex turns this on its head with a cost effective, simple to install tool which will significantly upgrade an operator’s CMS, and crucially, provide them with a far greater level of analysis with detailed and wide-ranging data insights into the health of their fleets.”

As a global provider of preventative maintenance solutions, ONYX uses advanced sensing technology and data analytics to support wind farm operators to optimize their fleets by empowering them to identify potential faults and plan maintenance much more effectively.

Henry Tanner, Product Manager at ONYX Insight said: “ecoCMS Flex solves critical flaws that many of the legacy CMS systems in the marketplace have. This new upgrade provides more reliable software and IT systems which bring all of the wind turbine CMS data into one platform, allowing ONYX to assess and analyze the data and suggest actions where needed. Simply, our new product can identify when and where maintenance for turbines is needed more effectively than older systems can, and this allows fleet managers to make informed decisions when organizing their maintenance strategies.”

Configured with optimized sampling parameters, ecoCMS Flex improves fault detection with radically more advanced software than legacy systems, as well as having the capability to bring all CMS data into one platform with ongoing product support and data analysis provided by ONYX.

With ecoCMS Flex offering a rapid plug-and-play installation, it unlocks broader end-to-end predictive maintenance solutions for fleet managers while being a cost-effective solution to upgrading legacy systems across turbine fleets.

ecoCMS Flex is available on the market today and is based on the field-proven technology in ONYX’s ecoCMS product.

News item from ONYX Insight

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