How-To Guides

Step-by-step walkthroughs for common tasks.

Table of Contents

• Onboard a New Wind Site End-to-End
• Run a DD Campaign from Start to Finish
• Promote DD Findings to the Risk Register
• Build an O&M Cost Projection
• Create and Manage Risk Entries
• Map SCADA Tags for a Site
• Add a Service Agreement
• Manage Users and Roles
• Export Data for External Use

Onboard a New Wind Site End-to-End

Use this guide when adding a newly acquired or discovered wind site to Ridgeline.

Time estimate: 15–30 minutes per site (depending on turbine count).

Steps

1. Create the site. Go to Sites > + New Site. Fill in: site name, state, county, ISO/RTO region, total capacity (MW) and turbine count, OEM and turbine model, SCADA system type, historian, and data frequency, commission date.
2. Add turbines. From the site detail page, click the Turbines tab, then + Add Turbine for each unit. Enter: turbine identifier, model and serial number, hub height and rotor diameter, GPS coordinates, commission date.
3. Register components. On each turbine’s detail page, add major components: gearbox, generator, main bearing, blades (3 individual entries), transformer, converter. Include serial numbers and install dates.
4. Link service agreements. On the site detail page, go to the Agreements tab and click + New Agreement. Enter: agreement type, provider name, contract dates, scope of work, exclusions, performance guarantees, annual cost and escalation terms.
5. Validate and integrate. The site detail page shows integration readiness checks. Once all checks pass, advance the site status from In Progress to Integrated.

Tips — Enter GPS coordinates carefully. US sites: latitude ~25–50, longitude ~-70 to -125. Use turbine type templates (Admin > Templates) to pre-populate component specs when available.

See also — User Manual: Sites & Turbines

Run a DD Campaign from Start to Finish

Use this guide when evaluating a wind site for acquisition.

Steps

1. Create the campaign. Go to Campaigns > + New Campaign. Name it descriptively (e.g., “2026 Q1 DD – Ridgeline Wind Farm”). Select the target site. Set the campaign type and initial stage (typically Template Generated).
2. Advance through stages. Update the campaign stage as your evaluation progresses: Template Generated → Data Room Review → Site Visit → Assessment Complete.
3. Score component assessments. For each turbine component, set a Condition Score (1–5), estimate Remaining Useful Life (years), set Replacement Probability, assign a Risk Rating (Low, Medium, High, Critical), and add notes with evidence references.
4. Review the Data Quality Scorecard. Check the scorecard on the campaign page to ensure completeness across all assessment dimensions.
5. Make a Go/No-Go decision. Based on your assessments: Go (risk profile acceptable), Conditional Go (proceed with conditions), or No Go (walk away).
6. Close the campaign. Set the final status: Acquired, Passed, or Terminated.
7. Promote findings (if acquired). See the next guide.

See also — User Manual: DD Campaigns

Promote DD Findings to the Risk Register

Use this after closing a DD campaign as Acquired.

Prerequisites

• Campaign must be in Closed – Acquired status.
• All component assessments must be complete.

Steps

1. Open the closed campaign from the Campaigns list.
2. Click Promote to Master Data.
3. Review the promotion checklist. The system validates that all assessments have scores and required fields are populated.
4. Confirm the promotion.

What happens

• Every component assessment with a Medium or higher risk rating becomes an entry in the Risk Register.
• Each risk entry links back to the source campaign for traceability.
• The original campaign is preserved and locked.

Important — Promotion is a one-way operation. You cannot undo it, and you cannot re-promote the same campaign. Plan your assessment scoring carefully before promoting.

Build an O&M Cost Projection

Use this to model operations and maintenance costs for budgeting or deal evaluation.

Steps

1. Go to Projections > New Projection.
2. Configure the projection: Name, Type (Annual Budget, DD Pre-Acquisition, or Long-Term Plan), Base Year, Projection Years (default: 20), Discount Rate (default: 8%), and optionally link a Site and Campaign.
3. Click Create Projection. Industry baseline line items are auto-generated.
4. Customize line items. Adjust each category: modify amounts, change the cost basis, set escalation rates for inflation.
5. Review the NPV. The total Net Present Value is calculated automatically.
6. Export to Excel if needed for board presentations or financial models.

Tips — Start with baselines and override only what you have firm data for. Create multiple projections with different assumptions (bear/base/bull cases) for scenario analysis.

See also — User Manual: O&M Projections

Create and Manage Risk Entries

Use this when you identify a new risk from inspections, work orders, CMS alerts, or other sources.

Steps

1. Go to Risks > + New Risk.
2. Fill in the risk details: Site, Turbine (optional), Component (optional), Category, Title, Description, Failure Mode.
3. Set the risk scoring: Probability (Rare through Almost Certain) and Impact (Negligible through Catastrophic). The risk score and level are calculated automatically.
4. Add management details: Estimated Cost, Annual Reserve, Mitigation Plan, Owner, Review Date.
5. Click Create Risk.

Managing existing risks

• Update the Status as the risk evolves: Open → Mitigating → Accepted/Closed/Realized.
• Use the Heat Map view to see portfolio-level risk concentration.
• Filter by site, severity, status, or category to focus on specific areas.
• Review risks on their scheduled review dates and update scores as conditions change.

See also — User Manual: Risk Register

Map SCADA Tags for a Site

Use this to connect site-specific OEM SCADA tag names to Ridgeline’s canonical signal library.

Steps

1. Open the site detail page.
2. Click the Tag Mapping tab.
3. For each canonical signal, map the corresponding OEM-specific tag name used at that site.

Why this matters

Different OEMs use different names for the same measurement. For example, active power might be called GenPwr (GE), GridMs_W_avg (Vestas), or P_avg (Siemens Gamesa). Tag mapping lets Ridgeline normalize data across your portfolio for cross-site analytics.

Ridgeline’s canonical tag library includes 71 standardized signals across 6 categories (power, wind, temperature, vibration, electrical, operational).

Add a Service Agreement

Use this to record maintenance contracts for a site.

Steps

1. Open the site detail page.
2. Click the Agreements tab.
3. Click + New Agreement.
4. Fill in: Type (OEM FSA, ISP, or Self-Perform), Provider, Start/End dates, Scope, Exclusions, Performance guarantees, Annual cost and escalation.
5. Click Create Agreement.

Tips — Track FSA expiration dates closely. Transitioning from OEM FSA to ISP or self-perform is a major operational decision. Record key warranty terms that may affect component replacement responsibility.

Manage Users and Roles

Admin role required.

Invite a new user

1. Go to Admin > Users.
2. Click Invite User.
3. Enter the user’s email address and select their role (Admin, Analyst, or Viewer).
4. The user receives an email invitation to create their account.

Change a user’s role

1. Go to Admin > Users.
2. Find the user in the list.
3. Change their role using the role selector.

Export Data for External Use

Export a single projection

1. Open the projection from the Projections list.
2. Click the Export button.
3. An Excel file downloads with all line items, year-by-year costs, and NPV summary.

Bulk data export (Admin only)

1. Go to Admin > Export.
2. Select the data scope and format.
3. Click Export to download.

Use exports for board presentations, financial models, or integration with external systems.