Sentient Science, using its prognostic data models, sensors and processors, can monitor and predict the remaining life of Wind Turbine Gearboxes in First Wind’s 218 wind turbines, where installed.

Buffalo, NY -- (ReleaseWire) -- 12/16/2013 --First Wind (Boston, MA.) and Sentient Science (Buffalo, NY.) have signed a ten (10) year agreement to deploy a new generation of autonomous, predictive, condition maintenance, monitoring systems that enable First Wind to monitor the life of their wind turbines. The new capability, developed by Sentient Science, will calculate the remaining useful life of 150 Clipper Wind Liberty 2.5MW turbine gearboxes and 68 out-of-warranty GE 1.5MW SLE wind turbine gearboxes. Sentient Science will deploy its new cloud-based prediction software and sensor products that feature Sentient’s DigitalCloneLive technology. DigitalCloneLive was developed by Sentient Science in partnership with the US Military. After 10 years of Federal investment and validation, Sentient successfully adapted the technology forcommercial applications with additional funding from several federal sources and with a grant from the New York State R&D Authority.

The system is now operational and is the first of its kind in the country.

“We provide First Wind with state-of-the-art technology to extract reliable information containing the status of their gearbox assets and potential options for extending the life of those assets”, said Ward Thomas, CEO of Sentient Science. “Our solutions provide First Wind with a low cost, out-of-the-box, solution to get high level value from condition-based maintenance operations without the time, cost and overhead associated with conventional diagnostics-based solutions”.

According to Michael Alvarez, President and Chief Financial Officer at First Wind, “We selected Sentient because their solution helps manage the variability of our gearbox remanufacturing requirements that has been historically problematic in this industry.This will allow us to better financially manage our assets.”

According to Senator Charles Schumer, “Over the years I’ve fought to secure funding for Sentient Science through the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and NYSERDA to help Sentient apply their exciting DigitalClone technology to a variety of projects. Technologies like those developed by Sentient represent the kind of innovation that not only creates jobs but save companies and the federal government valuable time and money as we look to develop new breakthroughs in engineering and material sciences.”

About Sentient Science
Sentient Science, founded in 2001, is an independent company based both in New York and Idaho. It uses its proprietary software and sensor technology to deploy patent pending algorithms that can predict, with a high degree of accuracy, the future life of a component based on its composition material. Additionally and uniquely the company allows a true what-if capability as its users can “test” the implication of various compositions and lubricants before the component exists and while it is in a virtual state. The Sentient team, composed by a majority of PHD’s is committed to developing technology that cost effectively improves machinery design, testing, manufacturing, and maintenance.

First Wind is an independent North American renewable energy company focused on the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of utility-scale power projects in the United States. Based in Boston, First Wind has developed and operates 980 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity at 16 wind energy projects in Maine, New York, Vermont, Utah, Washington and Hawaii.

Media Contact:
Natalie Hils
Nhils@sentientscience.com
(716) 807-8655