Periodic inspection for a wind turbine

The WkP is a required Inspection for most wind turbines and must be done in a 2 to 4 year time period as stated for approval notices in Germany and is also part of approvals in other European countries via a Eurocode standard. The German Institute for Building Technology's stability guideline serves as the reference in Germany (DIBt). This standard applies to towers and antenna structures, which include wind turbines. The inspections, which are usually mandatory by state building codes, are required for wind turbine owners and operators. This standard also regulates the contents of the type test, which are important for approval and operation. The manufacturer submits available calculations and drawings as part of this test to ensure that the structure is stable under categorized site conditions for the design lifetime. For wind turbines, the design life is often 20 years. As part of the periodic inspection (WkP) and during the design life, DIBt requires visual inspections by appropriate experts to inspect the structure and safety equipment. Results must be documented and the owner must submit the inspection certificates and / or reports to the authority (building or trade supervisory authority).

Since 2007, the BWE Expert Advisory Board has formulated principles to specify the quality and scope of the inspection. See also Principles for Periodic Inspection_22_10_17 .doc (wind-energie.de). There are also minimum requirements for the inspection depth and scope, as well as the suitability of the expert and the documents to be inspected.