Wind farm assets are characterized by large numbers, wide geographic distribution, and long lifecycles. The traditional manual ledger management approach suffers from issues such as untimely data updates, unclear asset status, and unreasonable maintenance schedules, leading to waste in the form of asset idleness and excessive maintenance. Industry data show that under the conventional management model, the average asset idle rate in wind farms reaches 8%, and excessive maintenance costs account for 15% of total operation and maintenance expenses.
The establishment of an asset digitalization management platform has enabled precise control over wind farm assets. Based on IoT technology, the platform assigns a unique digital identity to each piece of equipment and uses sensors to collect real-time data on equipment operation, maintenance records, wear and tear conditions, and other relevant information, thereby creating comprehensive asset profiles. Through this platform, management personnel can query asset status at any time, achieving full lifecycle management—from procurement and installation through operation and maintenance to decommissioning.

An asset optimization strategy based on big data analytics has significantly enhanced asset operational efficiency. By analyzing equipment operating data and maintenance records, the platform has developed an asset health assessment model that accurately predicts the remaining useful life of equipment, providing a scientific basis for equipment upgrades and renovations. At a wind farm in northwest China, this model identified 15 pieces of equipment with severely degraded performance, enabling proactive upgrades and renovations and thereby preventing major losses caused by sudden failures. Meanwhile, the platform also optimizes maintenance schedules, shifting from traditional periodic maintenance to predictive maintenance based on asset conditions, thus reducing unnecessary maintenance costs.

Asset tiered management represents a significant innovation in asset management. Based on the importance and value of equipment, wind farm assets are categorized into core assets, critical assets, and general assets, each of which is subject to a differentiated management strategy. Core assets—such as wind turbine main shafts and control systems—are managed through real-time monitoring and prioritized maintenance; general assets—such as lighting fixtures and office furniture—are governed by standardized management procedures, thereby reducing management costs. This tiered management approach makes wind farm asset management more precise and efficient, cutting management costs by more than 25%.

The introduction of financial instruments such as asset securitization has opened up new avenues for wind farm asset management. Some mature, well-operated wind farms are leveraging their future, stable power-generation revenues as underlying assets to raise capital through asset securitization, which can then be used for the development of new wind projects or the upgrading and modernization of existing assets. This model not only revitalizes the existing assets of wind farms but also broadens the financing channels available to wind energy companies, thereby promoting the sustained development of the wind power industry.

As the wind power industry continues to develop, asset management is shifting from traditional equipment management toward value-based management. In the future, with the application of technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, wind farm asset management will achieve more accurate forecasting, more efficient scheduling, and safer transactions, further enhancing the full-lifecycle value of wind power assets and providing a solid foundation for the high-quality development of the wind power industry.