Draft Agenda 2026

This year's event promises an exceptional lineup of industry thought leaders and technical experts who will share their insights and experiences. By attending, you will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the wind power sector, as well as the tools and strategies needed to overcome them. Join us to discover the latest breakthroughs in blade design, learn about emerging technologies, and explore the possibilities that lie ahead.

Watch this space as the agenda grows and speakers get added!

A warm welcome to all delegates followed by a thematic overview of the day.

Maximising revenue through operational decisions
Discovering advanced budget strategies - prioritising repairs effectively and managing tight budget limits
Fleet benchmarking: What parameters are crucial?
Mastering the art of O&M risk tolerance - balancing cost efficiency with long-term asset value and maintenance
Solutions for risk-modelling blades and tracking costs

Q&A - Your chance to pose questions to the speakers

Understanding & informing FSAs
Owner's obligations
Operational considerations
Managing risk & budget
OEM relationships
Lessons learned

Q&A - Engage with the speaker in a dedicated session by asking questions

Step into an interactive zone where innovation meets experience. This hands-on space enables participants to explore the science behind blade technology through engaging demonstrations and practical activities. This is a unique opportunity to learn by doing, in which curiosity drives discovery.

Condition monitoring is proving to be a key strategic technology to deploy, monitor and protect wind turbine investments.

Q&A - Your chance to pose questions to the speaker

Establishing the baseline condition of the blade. When should inspections be conducted - before operation or immediately after installation?
When should inspections be used to detect and monitor damage or defects?
Benefits of internal inspections: For what purpose are they particularly useful?
Dealing effectively with carbon-fiber blade issues: is more inspection needed?
Advanced inspection techniques like NDT: how are they progressing and what comes next?

Q&A - Engage with the speaker in a dedicated Q&A session

Internal inspections: the new generation in action
Cutting re-inspection costs: the technology and strategies
AI takes the turbine: living the new era of AI and Machine Learning

Q&A - Pose your questions to the speaker to learn more about the solutions

Q&A - Your opportunity to ask questions directly to the speaker about the company's products

How to solve the challenges of larger blade serial issues?
Increasing frequency of inspections to monitor cracks propagating quickly during initial years - what can be done to reduce them?

Q&A - Engage with the speaker in a dedicated Q&A session to gain deeper insight into the solutions

Identifying common blade issues and their impact to increase project efficiency
Using innovative repair techniques for best results
What role does technology play in repairs: robots, drones and data analytics?
Assessing the need of monitoring repairs post completion
Repair vs. Replacement: What types of blade issues or damages should not be repaired?
When repairs are no longer feasible: EoL and recycling solutions?

Q&A - Engage fully to ensure you gather all the valuable information

Optimizing repair methods: from lightning to leading edge protection
Data-driven fixes for higher quality and longer asset life

Q&A - Take this opportunity to pose your product-related questions directly to the speaker

Join lively table discussions on key topics with peers and experts, share your views and connect with new people. Participants can choose from several roundtable topics. Attendees can move between tables, but staying at one for a focused discussion is encouraged. A host will kick off the conversation and guide the group while participants share insights. The host will present key takeaways at the end.

What can be done?

What happens when they are unbalanced?

How will this advance the industry, and can it be enforced?

The sensitivity of blades to repairs and how fixing one issue can create new problems

How can you solve this ongoing problem?

Inspecting unknown damage and non-traditional repairs

Leading-edge protection done properly

Non-visual NDE inspection techniques

Chair's opening remarks.

Navigating the long haul: approaches to managing projects over 25-40 Years
Addressing the long-term planning: balancing investment, performance, and longevity
What are the risks to consider when choosing the strategy and how to mitigate the risk?
Maintenance & upgrades to sustain performance: identifying priorities
What tech innovations can help to extend operational life?

Q&A - Use this opportunity to ask your question

What key aspects to consider for a repowering project?
How can costs and construction be managed during upgrades?
How can existing infrastructure be reused to reduce project cost and time?
How does repowering improve long-term O&M efficiency?

Q&A - Your chance to pose questions to the speaker

How to adapt maintenance cycles quickly to new issues: Prioritizing repairs that deliver the highest impact on availability and performance
How can real-time data and feedback continually shape and update maintenance plans?
Closer collaboration across teams: How can it improve the speed and effectiveness of repairs?

Q&A - Your chance to pose questions to the speaker

Dave Rupp

Vice President of Global Sales at Phazebreak Coatings

Phazebreak Coatings

Q&A - Learn more about the company's products directly from the speaker

Kevin Zhang

CEO

Skyraptor

Q&A - Ask the speaker directly about the products and solutions from their company

How to assess blade condition to identify life-extension candidates?
What repairs or reinforcements can slow blade degradation?
Extend service life to defer replacements and reduce downtime

Q&A - Your chance to pose questions to the speaker

To close the event, we’ll gather for an informal discussion in the exhibition area. Grab a cup of coffee, generously sponsored by Socomore, join the conversation and exchange your final thoughts in a relaxed setting.

PANEL DISCUSSION: How do you know that repairs were done well?

What is a good repair? Establishing common criteria for quality repair

Best performing techniques for the most effective repairs
Defining the best way of marking
Leading-edge repairs: comparing and identifying the best methods
LPS - IEC standards, carbon blades, pultrusion repairs and more: finding specific solutions for new and existing issues
Repair vs. Replacement, what types of blade issues or damages should not be repaired?

Q&A - Engage fully to ensure you gather all the valuable information

DRAFT AGENDA

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Blades USA takes place across February 23-24 in Austin, Texas