What Is It Like to Work as a Wind Farm Technician?

Few have ever dangled a hundred metres off the ground, surrounded by an endless horizon of blue ocean, but for wind turbine technicians, it’s the view from the office. As end-to-end specialists, they’re responsible for a wide myriad of responsibilities, from the installation of parts to routine maintenance.

The extraordinary locations farms are located in also mean technicians face unique challenges and work environments. People who are interested in a career in wind yet never worked on a farm may find their day-to-day hard to imagine. Below, we explore the typical duties of turbine technicians, as well as the trials and perks that come with the job.

All in a Day’s Work

Many turbine technicians will begin their day harnessing up. Jessica Kilroy, who works as a technician with service provider Rope Partner, routinely checks and repairs blades against wear and tear damage and lightning strikes–which is a common source of damage for wind turbines. The machines are the tallest structures for miles, turning them into 100-metre lightning rods.

The challenges at work shift with the seasons. The summer brings hurricanes, which can snap blades. Heat makes the equipment work harder. Harsh UV rays can strip paint and coating. In the winter, frost build-up can significantly reduce output and efficiency, as well as threaten to hurl ice chunks hundreds of metres away. Technicians are responsible for proactive maintenance and reactive troubleshooting against issues like these, as well as day-to-day testing and data collection.

Much of that work is done inside a nacelle. The nacelle is the nexus of a turbine. It can be large enough for helicopters to land on. Inside this hub is large and sensitive equipment responsible for generating electricity. Technicians regularly take performance readings here to monitor the turbine’s health and detect any problems.

Turbines undergo maintenance checks as often as three times a year. However, they operate 24/7, which means that technicians may also be called to onshore farms at any time. They may also have to repair more than one turbine in a single day.

On offshore farms, days are long. Working 12-hour shifts is not out of the ordinary. But so are downtimes waiting around for work. Wind–and energy production in general–is a largely project based field. Some technicians will find themselves living on-site for weeks, followed by a leave that can be as long as their assignments.

Above the Clouds

Onshore farms are typically situated in the countryside. These locations are fairly remote, to avoid disrupting nearby communities. The farms are so far out that it’s not unusual to have to build miles of new roads for access. “The view from the top is quite expansive. You’re the tallest thing around,” says Kilroy, who on some days spends six to eight hours atop turbines.

The views from offshore farms are no less scenic. Standing in the middle of the open sea, there’s no urban noise to dull the presence of the natural world. “I’ve seen some spectacular sunrises and sunsets,” says marine data manager Rachel Helsby.

A Temporary Home

At the end of the day, what technicians go home to depends on where they’re working. Obviously, it’s a lot easier to head home when your house is only a drive–and not a boat’s ride–away.

Offshore personnel typically stay in living quarters a boat’s ride away from the turbines. And these aren’t cramped cabins with bunk beds. Many of these substations are fully kitted out for extended stays. Workers are given rooms of their own. Food isn’t just some basic fare, as nutrition is crucial for offshore employees. Some platforms have recreational facilities like libraries and cinemas in an attempt to bring familiar comforts to the open sea.

Challenges on a Farm

Being a wind farm technician entails a certain level of physical fitness. Work is physically demanding. Technicians need to manually climb ladders all the way to the top–no lifts or pulleys. They have to maneuver around power lines and blades, buffeted by merciless winds and extreme temperatures.

Dramatic weather changes can require crews to leave quickly–a difficult feat considering you’re 100 metres off the ground. “We've had instances where if there's a lightning storm coming in and we're up the turbine we have to get down,” says offshore technician Ben Caldwell-Barr.

Indeed, the danger is further compounded on offshore wind farms. Stations are built out on the open sea, where extreme weather is expected. “The weather conditions out there are relatively extreme. When the sun is shining, it shines intensely; when the wind is blowing, it blows very hard,” shares a technician for a University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) study on working conditions on an offshore wind farm.

Sustaining Demand for the Future

Yet even with all the inherent hazards of working on a wind farm, thousands of professionals are still heading into the sector. The National Careers Service predicts demand for wind technicians to double in the coming years.

One obvious reason is pay. Whilst the average UK office worker earns on average around £20,000 per year Wind technicians can earn anywhere from £20,000 to £40,000, depending on their skill level. The fast-growing wind sector also creates a long-term, stable demand for labour. The UK has numerous wind farms in the pipeline, including what is to be the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank Farm. These projects are expected to buck the unemployment trend, creating hundreds of temporary and permanent jobs.

And for some, it’s not only about stability. There’s also the fulfillment factor. “You’re not just an electrician in a small company that does routine house calls, rather you’re a pioneer–there are not many people who do this type of work,” says another engineer in the study from UKE.

A career in wind is challenging and physically demanding. But it’s also well paid, relatively evergreen, and fulfilling. Many workers view themselves as stewards of a better future, and rightly so. By 2050, 50 percent of the world’s electricity will be supplied by wind and sun. To get there, the world is relying on specialists like wind farm technicians.