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How is a Wind Turbine Installed and Who Installs Them?

5/1/2024

The Guide To Wind Turbine Installation

Wind turbines are energy-producing towers in the sky. An average onshore wind turbine is about the same height as the Statue of Liberty. 

Once built, wind turbines are relatively low-maintenance machines. However, mapping out a wind farm, which is a group of wind turbines in one location, can take over four years and teams of people to plan. There are specialized studies involved before construction begins that contribute to the complexity and time it takes to install a wind turbine. 

If you’d like to pursue a career in the wind energy industry, you could benefit from our 30-week Wind Turbine Technician program.1 At Universal Technical Institute (UTI), students can gain the skills needed to install and service wind machinery. 

Learn more about the process of installing a wind turbine! 

What Happens Before a Wind Turbine Is Installed? 

There are several steps involved in installing a wind turbine. Even before wind turbines can be built, there is a study that typically happens. Wind industry engineers such as civil engineers, electrical engineers or environmental engineers come together and go through factors such as: 

  • Wind speed: Engineers track the wind speeds for a minimum of three months to determine if the location is suitable for wind turbines.
  • Surrounding terrain: They will analyze the terrain, which is the lay of the land like the elevation, slope, orientation and other features. 
  • Accessibility: They have to assess the accessibility of the area to make sure it’s possible to get heavy machinery there to install the turbines. 
  • Weather conditions: One of the main issues wind turbines face is damage from external factors like bad weather. By tracking the typical weather conditions, the engineers can determine if the location would be a good area for a wind farm. 

After completion of all the initial research, including the type of wind turbines to install, the installation process can start. Most wind farms house horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs), as they are the most efficient type of wind turbine. 

How Is a Wind Turbine Installed?

The majority of wind turbines are onshore, which means they are built on land. About 93% of all wind turbines around the world are onshore. The process of installing wind turbines may change depending on the size and type of turbine. Once the foundation is laid and has at least two weeks to set, the first step can begin. 

Step One: Install the Tower

Wind turbines are raised hundreds of feet in the air, and the first step is to install the tower. Because of how tall wind turbines are, they can’t be installed in a single piece. They have to be built in parts. Large cranes are used to put the pieces together. Factors like the weather conditions at installation may add time to the installation.

Step Two: Add the Nacelle

For HAWTs, the nacelle is located by the blades at the top of the tower. Other types of wind turbines may have the nacelle located at the bottom of the tower. The nacelle contains the gearbox, shafts, the generator and the brake. The larger the wind turbine, the larger its nacelle will be. The nacelle has the ability to rotate in order to point the wind turbine towards the direction of the wind. 

Step Three: Insert the Blade(s)

This is the last step in the actual installation of all the wind turbine parts. There are several models of HAWTs, and they are classified by the number of blades. They can have one to five blades. Wind turbine blades are connected to the nacelle. These blades are what move to cause gears to shift and generate electricity. 

Step Four: Test the Systems

Once a wind turbine is installed, it is required that testing takes place. This will ensure that the wind turbine is functioning properly. Wind engineers will also write up a plan for how many inspections need to take place yearly for each specific turbine. During the inspection, wind turbine technicians will clean, service and perform other necessary maintenance duties. 

How are Offshore Wind Turbines Installed?

It is amazing how wind turbines can be installed at sea. Offshore wind turbines are bigger and taller than onshore turbines. They also cost a lot more to install. Even if offshore wind farms cost more than onshore, the reason there are offshore types is they have the ability to produce a lot more electricity. Due to the wind power at sea, they are more efficient. 

An offshore wind turbine has a similar installation process as onshore turbines. Alongside laying a foundation, offshore turbines also need a steel platform that weighs about 1,000 tons to keep it in place. Some offshore wind farms have also incorporated floating platforms, so the higher wind power found where the ocean is deeper can be utilized. 

Installation of offshore turbines also requires more equipment and machines such as a specialized ship that drills and connects the turbine to the seafloor. 

How Much Does It Cost To Install a Wind Turbine?

There are various factors that affect how much it costs to install a wind turbine. These factors include the location and size of the wind turbine. Onshore wind turbines cost about $2 million to $4 million while offshore wind turbines cost significantly more, in the tens of millions of dollars. 

Learn How to Install Wind Turbines at UTI

At UTI, we have designed wind technology courses that can take students through the fundamentals of wind energy paired with hands-on training in labs. Some of the topics we cover include: 

  • Energy Industrial Fundamentals and Safety Compliance
  • Math, OSHA-10 and First Aid
  • Applied Physics and Precision Measuring
  • DC and AC Basic Electricity
  • Advanced Electrical Theory
  • Renewable Energy Sources
  • Wind Technology and Components
  • Wind Turbine Operation
  • Climb and Rescue

A wind turbine service technician is one of the fastest-growing jobs in the United States. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that between 2023 and 2033, employment for these positions is projected to grow 60%.63

Interested In Becoming a Wind Turbine Technician? 

Learn the skills needed to become a wind turbine technician! Request information and an Admissions Representative will take you through our wind program and the application process.

Would you like to get started? Apply today! 

Campuses That Offer Wind Technician Training

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1 ) UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary.
2 ) For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.
63 ) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Wind Turbine Technicians, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/wind-turbine-technicians.htm. BLS projects total employment will increase from 11,400 in 2023 to 18,200 in 2033. UTI is an educational institution and cannot guarantee employment or salary. For program outcome information and other disclosures, visit www.uti.edu/disclosures.

Universal Technical Institute of Illinois, Inc. is approved by the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.

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