Windmill Mechanic

What is a Windmill Mechanic?

Duties

As a windmill mechanic, you are expected to perform the following tasks effectively:

• Coordinate with senior staff on carrying out contractual commitments and actions established with the customer base on a regular basis, which involves electrical or mechanical equipment used in the company windmills.
• Communicate occasionally with customers when responding to queries, and direct them to appropriate technical staff where required.
• Undertake various windmill maintenance as well as installation obligations including the operation of power tools, specialized calibration tools and turbine equipment.
• Keep detailed records for the company system, as pertaining to windmill performance problems and provide recommendations or resolve the issue directly during routine maintenance.
• Actively support other teammates towards accomplishing goals and provide guidance to junior level staff for a positive team environment.

Day In The Life

A windmill mechanic spends the main part of his or her time completing routine inspections of wind turbines to ensure they are in working order, without needing any repairs. This means you have to frequently climb up and down the turbine at high elevations and closely assess its individual parts. If you find any problems, it is your responsibility to make a note of it to schedule a repair as soon as possible. In addition to making repairs, you have to periodically make sure that there are adequate supplies at the property’s storage for times when emergency issues crop up.

Work Schedule

Although the majority of windmill mechanics work full time, they may also have to be available on call to tackle emergencies during odd hours of the day, including weekends, holidays and evenings. You can expect to work for more than 40 hours per week. The work schedule is dependent on peak maintenance periods. Windmills are usually located in very isolated rural areas, which requires technicians to either live close to the work site or be ready to commute at a moment’s notice if a wind turbine suddenly stops working.

Growth Of The Job

Employment of windmill mechanics is expected to rise by 96 percent between 2016 to 2026, which is very optimistic in comparison to other occupations in the country. There are also diverse roles in the wind energy sector involving research, environmental development and manufacturing. With more and more companies investing in wind turbines, there will be a steady demand for professionals in this field, especially due to the current shortage of qualified workers.

Since the work involves long hours and working from great heights or confined spaces, there are a good number of vacancies for individuals who are interested. The positions available depend on which state you are looking at, since there are a greater number of wind farms located in the Midwest and along the coast due to optimal climate conditions.

Wind turbine service skills can be transferred to related professions that require a similar skillset such as power generation professionals, renewable energy experts, specialised electricians, industrial manufacturing workers, managers, inspectors, electronics technicians, etc. There are also other employment avenues in renewable energy as a whole, such as thermal energy, hydropower and natural gas.

Typical Employers

Windmill mechanics can find work in industries that involve electric power generation or distribution, construction of utility systems and industrial manufacturing.