I have a few questions for someone who could help me out. I'm thinking of heading back to school to study renewable energy technology (specializing in wind turbines) and I'd really like to speak with some folks in the industry.

thanks everyone

 

I'm planning to go into this field as well, finally figured out what I think would be best for me.

 

I have worked with the companys that are apart of the wind energry, I have off loaded and erected a few wind mills, but the company, has gone into receivership. So no more off loading and erecting till the market changes.
The company that makes them is Vestas.

 

Im starting to suspect im in a renewable energy field...

Everytime they work over a mature field, they find more oil..

Ok, it may not be a rapidly renewable resource, but I just cant help believe that the earth is constantly making more oil...

 

Currently there are tons of windmills going up in my neck of the woods.

As I understand it, they pay pretty good, but I would think having to live out of a motel for months at a time to go to the next construction site would make it rough to have any kind of a family life.

I guess there are some people who stay planted to lube, torque and otherwise service the units once the wind farm is installed, and there is a program at the local community college.

One thing that would kind of concern me, though, is whether or not a person could make it to retirement age still able to climb 330' in the tower, in all kinds of temp extremes and weather...

 

little03...how did you like what you were doing? how was the work with erecting the turbines?

Jeff- you are right...spending a long time on the job sites could make family life difficult. does anyone know how long you spend at a job site. I know that how many turbines the wind farm has would have an effect on the build time.

 

The work was fun I can post some pics of the stuff we off loaded this year. I work with cranes as an apprentice which is a way cool job and always work, because someone always needs something lifted.

 

Check with the industry leaders in the US marketplace. Nearly all of them are recruiting engineers and field personnel:
GE Energy (NYSE: GE)
Vestas Wind Systems (CPH: VWS)
Siemens AG (NYSE: SI)
Gamesa Corporacion Tecnologica (MCE: GAM)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (TYO: 7011)
Suzlon Energy Limited (NSE: SUZLON)
Clipper Windpower (LSE: CWP)
Nordex (FRANKFURT: NDX1)

 

here is are 500 ton lifting the cells that sit on top of the towers.



A tower section.


A blade. 3 blades to a turbine.

 

I am an Account Exec for ABB Inc. We provide most of the generators, VFD controls, transformers and circuit breakers for Vestas, Gamesa, Clipper and GE Wind. We also provide the distribution, small, medium and large power transformers as well as the low, medium and high voltage equipment used in the collector and transmission grids. Our Alternative Energy businesses are expected to grow exponentially over the next several years. We have also been told that we will need to hire somewhere around 3500 new professionals in North America to meet the demand that will present itself in the Energy field due to attrition, market growth, population, etc...

We have an excellent trainee program for engineers of all types. Look into it on our web site at ABB.com.

We are always looking for Electrical and Mechanical Design Engineers for power, automation and electronics. There are also lots of opportunities for facilities management, manufacturing/industrial engineering, project managers, sales professionals, field service personnel, etc...

 

I have a question for those of you in the industry what is the number of years it takes to get to the break even point for the cost to put one of these units up ??? And yes i understand it all depends on the amount of wind .
We have a bunch of them a few miles from me ( 46) and the peak efficentcy is expected to be around 27 percent the cost to put one up was 1.7 million each and they just went online 3 weeks ago.
They want to do a bunch more next year and are now saying they will cost 3 million each to put up double the price in one year what the h--- gives ??
Did the speculators jump from oil now on to these ???

These are all vestas with the 175 foot blades and 300 foot towers like the ones in your pictures.

 

i wish i didn't mind the heights . i would be in that in a heart beat. drove by these in just outside of clarkston washington.

 

They look smaller when I drive by them on the Altamont pass

 

I just ran into a guy who works for a company that does the trenching and so on for the wiring that interconnects groups of windmills.

Basically he said the paycheck is the good part of the job, but working constantly while living out of a motel is a major bummer.

As a side note, recently in this area one person was killed and another badly hurt when one of those things collapsed...

 

I have a good freind that dose em and I know the pay checks are really good but it also depends on wat ur doin.
Ironworkers AKA Erectors can only work if the wind is below 25 mph and they basicly just set the steel.
Millwrights AKA High Torquers come up behind the Ironworkers and basicaly torque all the bolts with a speical hydrolic wrench and we also help in the off load.
The High torque crews can work if its windyer than 25 mph i think there cut of is like 40 mph and they usally work more hours.
Then Millwrights also build the hubs on the ground for the Ironworkers.

Hope this helps this is just stuff my freind has passed along feel free to ask any questions il try to help