As the world’s population grows, so does the demand for energy. The energy industry is working hard to keep up, yet at the same time it faces pressure to focus on more eco-friendly resources. New technologies have lowered the barriers to entry and have allowed a fresh set of players to enter the game, increasing competition and forcing companies to emphasize efficiency in order to keep their competitive edge.
Some of the challenges the energy industry faces deal with maintaining expensive and complex equipment, worker safety, or leaks among many others. But there are ways to minimize risks, and inspections are one of them
Inspection software brings energy inspections out of the dark ages and uses the technology to catch potential issues before they become real ones..
This article takes a look at some of the critical processes in the oil & gas, wind, and solar energy sectors and provides examples of the benefits inspections can bring to companies.
Oil and Gas Inspections
For reasons mainly boiling down to efficiency and cost-effectiveness, pipelines are the favoured method for transporting oil and gas. Pipelines themselves are high-priced assets requiring the right maintenance to ensure proper functioning.
Oil & Gas Pipeline Easement
However, before oil or gas can start flowing down the pipes, the immense task of getting permission and dealing with the law and property rights must be fulfilled. As pipelines cut through many different people’s property, it can be a laborious process to deal with each person, and forgetting one aspect or detail can result in more work and headaches in the future. That’s why it has to be done correctly the first time.
An oil & gas pipeline aasement checklist makes sure companies check all their t’s and dot their i’s. It covers all the aspects from making sure the property owner clearly grants property rights and checking that the pipeline depth is correct, to ensuring the property owner is not blocked from accessing their home or property during construction.
On the rig
Oil and gas won’t do anyone any good if they don’t get it out of the ground. That’s where rigs come into play, where you can find all the action and workers working alongside huge, dangerous pieces of machinery. In such an environment, a checklist template that gives step-by-step instructions for worker safety on rigs is essential. Are there weekly safety meetings being conducted? Are the emergency escape air packs stored correctly? Are the H2S/SO2 monitoring devices working correctly ? With a detailed checklist, one can be sure that nothing will be left out.
Wind Energy
The wind energy industry is expected to grow significantly in the coming years, and turbines will play a huge role in its expansion. As companies invest more into this type of energy, it just makes sense to maintain equipment properly. This not only optimizes its efficiency, but helps ensure it fulfills theprojected lifespan and that all regulations are met.
Maintenance Checklist for Wind Turbines and Generators
Using a dynamic inspection software, any repairs that need to be made can be identified, and photographs can be taken to show the issue in more detail. Providing regular reports on the condition of turbines can result in insignificant cost savings in the long term.
If an inspection has been performed and repairs need to be made, it’s now up to the workers to come fix them. A wind turbine safety checklist gives workers the steps to take in the right order. This, for example, begins with requesting the transfer of control and goes all the way through pushing the emergency stop button.
Solar Energy
Harnessing solar energy is something that takes place on both large and small scales and for diverse reasons. Solar panels are used on huge solar farms to generate large amounts of poweras well as on the roofs of individual households to provide electricity or heat.. But how to keep maintenance costs low? Set it up correctly in the first place. Using a solar system installation and commissioning checklist, each step of the installation process can be documentedto ensure proper installation.
Do it correctly from step one
Taking control of energy assets has never been more straightforward. Resco’s tailor-made forms fit various situations, and with the right digital checklist for the job, companies and individuals can stay in control of even the most complex processes and equipment.
