Who repairs all the wind turbines you see everywhere?
Have you ever looked up at the skyline or read a news story and wondered who repairs all the wind turbines you see everywhere? In every wind farm, whether on or offshore, there are engineers and technicians keeping the equipment working 24/7. They may be invisible, but they are vital to keeping energy production going.
They will have different job titles depending on where they are working and who they are working for. So, they may be a:
Wind Turbine Technician
Onshore/Offshore Wind Technical Engineer
Field Engineer or Field Service Engineer for Wind farms
Rope Access Technician.
Who are the people who keep wind turbines operational
The work required on the wind turbine
This group of engineers and technicians support the green energy industry by installing, repairing, servicing and testing wind turbines and the equipment within them. Preventative maintenance is part of most wind turbine technicians’ remit.
It is a job which requires technical knowledge and skill as well as good communication and team working skills and a strong awareness of health and safety. Working on a wind turbine requires a certain level of physical fitness; not just to be able to carry out the day to work but also to be able to rescue a colleague in case of an accident.
It is a vital role and therefore will be, at times, pressurised and uncomfortable because of weather and confined spaces. All the engineers and technicians working on wind turbines develop strategies to work under pressure and in challenging and uncomfortable situations.
Wind farms form a key and vital part of energy production globally. Without fully functioning wind turbines, a country’s power supply will be affected.
Qualifying to work on wind turbines
People qualify to work on wind turbines in different ways. For example:
Specific study
Retraining and transitioning
Leaving the military and being retrained for civilian life
You can see examples of the ways into wind turbines from reading about some of our members below.
Types of qualifications to work on wind turbines
Universities, colleges, apprenticeships, and company’s own training programmes vary from country to country.
Meet the people who repair and service wind turbines
There are many ways to start a career working on wind turbines. Meet some of our members and their stories.
Adalet Yurtcu, Rope Access Technician, Work at Heights Instructor
Adalet Yurtcu has been working in the wind turbine industry for four years. She is a Rope Access Technician and Work at Height Instructor. Adalet is based in Turkey and was the first woman in Turkey to repair wind turbine blades.
Begüm Demirtaş, Wind Turbine Technician, Vestas
Begüm Demirtaş is a member of the wind turbine support team at Vestas, Skane, Sweden. Begum studied Wind Power Project Management.
Clayton Topkin, Offshore Troubleshooting Technician, Vattenfall Service Nordic AB
Clayton Topkins’s career combines his experience working at height and his love of life at sea level. From the high life of RF Surveying to sea level as a Yachtmaster trained sailor, then back up to become a Troubleshooting Technician on Offshore windfarms.
Clayton’s experience and story
Gökhan Oruç, Offshore Wind Turbine Technician, Vestas
Gökhan Oruç has many years of experience working on wind turbines. He works offshore and is based in Germany.
Jessie Moffitt, Wind Turbine Technician, Fairwind
Jessie Moffitt moved from mathematics to studying wind turbine technology. She works in the USA and is advanced rescue qualified.
Michael Martin, Wind Turbine Technician and Technical Writer, Vestas
Michael Martin has worked as a technical writer and now works as a wind turbine technician. He currently works for Vestas and is based in Minnesota in the USA.
Michael’s experience and story
Rachell Coffey, Wind Turbine Technician, Vestas
Rachell Coffey has transitioned from construction and administration into the wind power industry. She is passionate about the environment and works for Vestas in the United States.
Rachell’s experience and story
Songul Ogdum, Specialist Wind Power Plant Operation and Maintenance, Zorlu Energy Group
Songul Ogdum has a master’s degree in electrical and electronic engineering. She has experience working on Hydroelectric Power Plants and now works on the operation and maintenance of a Wind Power Plant.
Conclusion
Renewable energy is transforming the world’s energy supply across the globe. Wind power along with solar power are both playing a huge part in helping to reduce the CO2 emissions traditionally associated with energy production.
The engineers we have featured, and thousands more around the world are essential to keeping the world’s wind turbines turning and generating the power that the world needs.
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