Dr.-Ing. Christoph Heilmann (photo), responsible for Research and Development at greenwind, will again attend the 33^rd Windenergietage (Wind Energy Days) in Potsdam taking place from 12 to 14 November. He has chaired one of the specialist forums at the Berlin/Brandenburg Windenergietage for twelve years already. For the greenwind forum 3 on Thursday, 13 November from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Heilmann has conceived a varied programme which he will present together with greenwind’s Managing, Mr. Georg Meyer.

Let’s ask:

Christoph, what is it that makes the long-standing collaboration with the organisers of the Windenergietage so appealing to you?

Christoph: Harald Düring, initiator and head of the Windenergietage, is just passionate about humanity and wind energy and loves bringing people together. His very small, but very dedicated team manages this huge event and coordinates it into colourful fireworks of knowledge.

What do you consider particularly important when selecting your speakers?

Christoph: Most of all technical quality, so that technical questions are answered by technical experts. In this regard greenwind has a lot to offer. At the Windenergietage, everyone communicates at eye level, sharing their knowledge to advance the industry.

What is your guiding principle in the greenwind forum?

Christoph: The system idea. On the one hand, it takes foresight into the decades-long life of the plant to achieve overall economic efficiency. On the other, it takes focus to resolve important details before they turn into an issue. A wind turbine is a system that, due to wind and operation, vibrates strongly, and if I don’t focus on that, there will be more yield loss, more wear and damage. We aim to monitor vibrations and provide predictive maintenance. Integration into the electrical system is essential to meet legal and market requirements and to be economical. So innovative services help to achieve a faster transformation to an energy supply based fully on renewables.

What makes this event so extraordinarily successful?

Christoph: There are no large stands here to impress others. Instead, there are committed people on site. And with the colourful, playful supporting programme, everyone feels at ease.

Is there a story from your forums that you remember particularly well?

Christoph: Yes, the Foundations, Towers and Infrastructure forum two years ago: the room was packed early in the morning as the Max Bögl company answered probing questions from the audience. And after the last presentation by the Koopmann company, we worked overtime. Everyone was grateful to have met someone at last who provided clear answers to all their questions about cable routes, while outside the posters were already being taken down. This illustrates the participants’ passion for wind energy as an essential building block for a healthy, liveable world.

Interviewer: Anke Kuckuck