ABB invests in US wind turbine analytics start-up

ABB has acquired a minority stake in the US-based wind analytics software provider WindESCo through its venture capital unit, ABB Technology Ventures (ATV).

Through the partnership agreement, ABB will combine its supply of wind converters for medium voltage and low voltage wind turbines with WindESCo's asset performance monitoring software and wake optimisation solution.

With their combined offering, ABB and WindESCo can now offer a complete solution approach to customers.

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“This strategic venture capital investment allows us to strengthen our market position supporting the energy transition...It will complement ABB’s wind portfolio with a strong digital offering by WindESCo, that enables both companies to leverage their strong presence in the growing wind market. This win-win transaction will offer a holistic solution approach to our customer bases, and it will expand the service offering by ABB Motion,” said Chris Poynter, president, System Drives division, ABB Motion.

WindESCo’s portfolio consists of two products – an advanced analytics solution called Find, Fix, Measure that leverages deep wind experience and AI and a wind plant optimisation solution called Swarm, both designed to improve the performance of wind turbines and increase profit margins of wind plants.

Thanks to this investment, WindESCo will be able to access ABB’s installed base experience of over 35GW of operating wind assets.

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Along with the transfer of electrical expertise, this will help WindESCo to enlarge their existing issue detection to electrical anomalies, affecting converters and generators in both onshore and offshore wind turbines.

Mo Dua, CEO, and founder of WindESCo, said: “There is tremendous value locked in the wind turbine converter data. While most of the solutions have focused on the mechanical systems, there are no solutions having a meaningful impact on the electrical system.

"The equity investment by ABB and our technical collaboration will allow WindESCo to expand its offering to the wind turbine electrical system...we are glad ABB chose WindESCo as their digitisation partner.”

Financial details of the investment were not disclosed.