Wind turbines are at the forefront of America’s energy improvement. Wind energy is highly accessible and one of the most rapidly growing forms of energy conservation technology used today. Wind turbine technicians, also called wind techs, are the professionals who maintain these massive structures. With an expected job growth rate of 61 percent from 2019 to 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, it’s a great consideration for anyone looking for a fast-growing, stable career path.
Whether you’re just starting out in the workforce or looking for a major career change, you can become a wind turbine technician with a non-graduate degree earned through an accredited trade school. In under a year, you can become qualified for entry-level wind tech jobs and start earning.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Wind Turbine Technician?
You can complete a full-time wind turbine technician program in as little as 7 months while attending full-time. You do not need any prior educational or work experience, but you must be at least 18 years old and hold a high school diploma or GED. Full-time studies can be demanding, but this approach prepares you for work in as little as 7 months. With so much to learn in such a short period, you will build a specialized knowledge base and valuable skill set that makes you a strong candidate for wind turbine jobs near you.
Why Are Wind Turbine Technicians in Demand?
There are several reasons why wind turbine technician job growth is increasing at such a rapid pace. First is the increase in renewable energy usage. People continually are pushing to live greener, and environmentally-conscious efforts are being made at local, state, and federal levels to reduce fossil fuel consumption, lower carbon emissions, reduce air pollution, and slow the effects of climate change. As alternative energy becomes more affordable, technology will expand, creating greater opportunity for professionals.
Political policies, wind energy tax credits, and government mandates are pushing wind-powered systems into more locations. With so many turbines being build and installed, there is a strong demand for qualified, intelligent wind turbine technicians to maintain them.
What Do You Learn During a Wind Turbine Technician Program?
Wind turbine technician training programs are broken into several categories. These subjects build upon themselves and include a variety of classroom instruction from industry professionals and hands-on skills training exercises.
You will be introduced to the most important tools and professional skills. Then, you’ll move on to learning about subjects like precision measuring and rigging as well as materials, processes, and welding. Further instruction will teach you about DC and AC electrical theory, wind operation, and renewable energy resources.
A variety of exercises will help you learn the various parts of wind turbines and their mechanics, including hydraulics and gears. Learning how each part works both individually and together as part of a whole system is vital to becoming the best wind turbine technician you can. When diagnosing jobs or doing a repair, you will need to draw from your training to make the right call. This requires a proper approach for a repair that includes isolating the target area, monitoring its performance, choosing the right tools, and using the right techniques to ensure the repair is efficient, durable, and thorough.
What Does a Wind Turbine Technician Do?
Wind turbine technicians make repairs and ensure that turbines are always operating at their optimal potential. Performance monitoring through remote systems as well as routine on-site inspections keep wind energy flowing.
There are three major parts of a wind turbine to know: the tower, three blades and a collection of gears, and a generator and gearbox called a nacelle. You will learn how all these parts work and make repairs to components on different job sites as needed.
Some of the typical job responsibilities of a wind turbine technician are:
- Conduct exterior inspections of turbines to ensure they are structurally sound and physically maintained.
- Climb turbine towers to make closer inspections and repair damaged or faulty equipment.
- Perform routine preventative maintenance.
- Monitor and repair wind turbine hydraulics and gears.
- Make mechanical and electrical repairs to various components of the wind turbine.
- Collect and compile wind turbine data to draw insights and generate useful reports.
- Work with a variety of systems such as underground transmission systems and fiber optic control systems.
Turbines can be monitored remotely from an office with 24-hour data surveillance taking place, so wind turbine technicians can immediately respond to any type of emergency. Maintenance occurs at different times depending on the site and scale of the wind turbine system, but maintenance occurs at least once annually and sometimes up to three times per year.
Wind turbine technicians typically work outdoors because they climb to repair towers and make repairs on nacelles. They typically work in pairs, so you will have a partner who travels with you to various job sites.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how long it takes to become a wind turbine technician, all you must do to start your career path is apply to a trade school with a wind turbine training program. Once you’re enrolled, you can begin studying and be on your way toward working in the field within 7 months. Trade schools offer more than just education, they are committed to helping students like you find gainful employment in their fields, going above and beyond to help you feel confident about interviewing and even helping you locate potential jobs. Become part of this growing industry today and start earning tomorrow.
Does a career as a wind turbine technician interest you? Want to have the power of an entire nation at your fingertips? The Wind Turbine Technician Program from MIAT College of Technology provide the hands-on training, practical experience and industry support it takes to pursue a rewarding technical career in just 7 months. Wind turbine technicians must inspect and service a turbine’s blades on a regular basis. This is done by entering the turbine through the base of the tower and climbing a ladder or riding an elevator up through the tower shaft. Depending on the task at hand, technicians may be suspended hundreds of feet in the air! When needed, it’s not uncommon for helicopters to raise wind turbine technicians up to the desired working height.
To learn more about the Wind Turbine Technician Program and to explore if MIAT is right for you, fill out the form on this page. Contact us if you are interested in becoming a wind turbine technician today.