Winds of Change

Jan 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Amy Florence Fischbach, Contributing Writer

“We would not be able to do this if we did not get support from the local industry,” says Anderson, whose school owns about $200,000 worth of equipment and is looking to purchase a wind turbine. “If you start an English program, you need a chalkboard, a room, and a book. Here, you need specialized equipment.”

To quickly train the next wave of wind workers, community colleges are offering both one-year or two-year training programs. Mike Schmidt, a wind energy technical program director at Laramie County Community College (LCCC) in Cheyenne, Wyo., advises his students to opt for the two-year degree to gain more technical education.

“The industry is not having a hard time finding people to do basic lubrication and maintenance,” says Schmidt, a master electrician who helped launch the new training program at LCCC. “They're having a difficult time finding people with the skill set needed to work on high-tech machines, and you can't get that background in a one-year certificate.”

Sharpening skill sets

While community colleges are training everyone from high school graduates to middle-aged Americans to work as wind turbine technicians, industrial electricians often already have many of the skills they need in their back pocket. With some on-the-job training, vendor workshops, and safety lessons, electricians can quickly get up to speed. The large utility-scale wind turbines are essentially a large industrial electromechanical system with sophisticated controls, a state-of-the-art power conversion system, hydraulics, and mechanics, Schmidt says.

The wiring of the turbines is typically done in the factory, and all the control wiring is already in place when the electricians and technicians arrive on-site. Rather than having to size conductors or design wiring schematics, the electricians are there to interconnect the different sections of the towers and connect the underground collection system to the pad-mounted transformers or to the high-voltage switchgear at the bottom of the tower (Photo 2 on page C22).

In many cases, union electricians don't work with hydraulics, lubrication, or mechanical equipment, so technicians normally take care of this work on a wind farm project. Many times, however, the skill sets can cross over on a wind farm, where multiple trades are working together for a common goal — to get the wind farm up and running.

“This industry is not set up in a manner where people are boxed into specific trade skills,” Schmidt says.

Working on a wind farm

Once electricians and wind technicians are armed with knowledge, they need to gear up for the day-to-day working conditions on a wind farm. While the actual work isn't much different than other kinds of industrial work, the environmental conditions can throw some workers a curveball. Unlike plant electricians who spend most of their days inside, wind wiremen always work outside (Photo 3). Mike Brummitt, a supervisor and general foreman for Henkels & McCoy (H&M), Blue Bell, Pa., has wired five wind farms, and every job has entailed work during the winter.

“When it's 80°F outside, it can be pushing 100°F in the tower,” he says. “In the winter, it's freezing in there.”

Climbing the towers day in and day out takes a special type of person as well, Brummitt explains. While he describes the view from the top of the 285-foot towers as phenomenal, he concedes that workers need to be in top physical condition. At times, they may feel seasick when the tower sways, and can get affected by the loud echoes within the tower.

When working on a wind farm, electricians not only contend with the physical demands of the job, but they must also often live out of a suitcase on the road. In many cases, they travel from project to project, work 10-hour days, seven days a week and only go home to see their families every few months. For that reason, it can be challenging to find wind farm workers who are willing to travel and work under such a tight schedule, says Clint Grassmick, director of north central operations for H&M.

Fortunately, H&M has a core group of five electricians who travel from one wind farm to the next. Over the years, Brummitt and the electricians have become like family, he says. By developing a close friendship, they're able to work like a well-oiled machine on a wind farm project. Brummitt and his crew typically turn over one turbine a day by working 10- to 12-hour shifts seven days a week.

“We're all out here because we enjoy the work, and it's different than working in a plant day in and day out,” he says. “It's hard working on the road and being away from our families, but the hours and the money is a big part of the draw.”

One reason why electricians — as well as contracting firms — are pursuing this type of work is due to the potential for profitability. These fast-track projects can be completed in four to 12 months, and workers can earn about $20 to $24 an hour as a wind turbine technician, and earn even more as an electrician. Most electricians who work on wind farms take in well over $100,000 a year, thanks to so much overtime.

Brummitt estimated that he earns about double what he would make by working as an industrial electrician. Electricians can easily earn $100,000 to $130,000 per year, but they have to make the tradeoff of a lack of family and home life, Brummitt says. While wind farm work has its challenges, Brummitt says he enjoys fast-paced projects and seeing a job go from bare dirt to completion.

“When we're about half-way through a project, the manufacturers start commissioning,” he says. “Seeing these turbines start spinning and producing electricity while you're still on-site is great. It's satisfying to know you had a part in it.”

Fischbach is a freelance writer based in Overland Park, Kan. She can be reached at amyfischbach@gmail.com.

Sidebar: What is a Wind Technician?

Many times, electricians wire the farms and are on-site throughout the construction process. Once the towers have been built, the wind turbine technicians usually take over the operation and maintenance tasks. Here is a breakdown of the difference between a technician and an electrician specializing in wind work.

(click here to see Table)

Sidebar: How To Achieve Success in the Wind Industry

Henkels & McCoy, one of the nation's largest electrical contractors based in Blue Bell, Pa., broke into the wind energy business four years ago and has since wired five farms. Clint Grassmick, director of north central operations, says his company learned the following lessons since completing its first project — the Twin Groves Wind Farm in Ransom, Ill.

Get your costs down in order to win work.
Assemble a core team of electricians that can travel with you from job to job.
Expect setbacks such as inclement weather, but stay on top of the schedule through good planning, smart scheduling, and foreseeing any obstacles before they impact production.
Refine your work plan on each job function because it's repeatable many times over.
Keep your electricians safe from hazards like lightning strikes, high winds, and falls through on-site safety meetings, safety procedures, and by investing in the latest tools and personal protective equipment.