A condition monitoring system (CMS) plays a critical role in tapping the maximum potential of wind energy through wind turbine by minimizing the downtime. It has been proved that the CMS-based maintenance, compared to scheduled and corrective maintenance, is more suitable in many aspects with few disadvantages. The cost of CMS design and installation is substantial in comparison to other maintenance approaches but in the longer run CMS provides benefits Surpassing the costs. There are such important parameters as the identification of most sensitive, less sensitive components, replacement costs accompanied with certain components that should be taken into consideration when designing the CMS. In this paper, we have made an attempt to evaluate the viability of CMS, and important parameters in its design, system architecture and installation. The sole purpose is to highlight the overwhelming role of CMS as a better and viable option for increasing the production rate and lowering the downtime in the wind energy converter. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.