Wind power anyone? could do with advice please

andyxeno · Feb 1, 2011

Hi everyone i'm Andy,just started posting on here.I'm 37 and a full time student currently doing my 2330 level 2.I've always fiddled with pc's and tv's and the like and being 'spurred' on (no pun intended lol) to try my hand at electrics by my dad a plasterer and my neighbour a wind turbine maintenence person.I thought i'd have a go,well due to a error by the college i only started the course at the end of november but have passed my first 2 units 1 with distinction and the other with a credit and i'm getting to grips with swa and trunking and conduits already and enjoying it a lot!.I know this is very early days but picking this up has boosted me and given me confidence to keep going.Right my question regarding advice is this,i am interested in renewables and wind power according to my neighbour is the new way forward,He is making a bundle and says it's a great job to do,unfortunatley he is never around so talking to him isn't a option.My tutors are a bit vague regarding going down this avenue so to work in wind power i don't know the type of courses i would likely need.My thoughts where the 2330 lvl 2 which the college are throwing in the 17th ed for a extra £30 then lvl 3 (providing i can get a job ) then 2357 then Am2 but i now think this would only qualify me as a domestic installer and probably not much good up a wind turbine or at it's substation. Sorry for the long post just excited but puzzled about what i'm doing lol. PLEASE anyone gone the wind route? Any advice would be great thanks

windtech · Dec 13, 2011

you just need to be a electrican to work on wind turbines you can look on bwea.com for jobs. You cant train as a wind turbine tech so the company will put u through all the training u need. ive been a sparks for 14yrs before i started and i still had to do the basics

andyxeno · Dec 14, 2011

Cheers, thanks very much for the reply. I passed my 2330 lvl 2 and am on a apprenticeship with a local firm so when i finish my time i'm gonna go into training for wind power (unless a opportunity presents itself earlier) Thanks again for the reply:tounge_smile:

wade88 · Dec 14, 2011

I was looking at a job off shore on a turbine farm in Norfolk last year, and again, had no idea what was required to get the posotion? So my understanding so far Windtech is, you need to be an "electrician". The term electrician always seems to be a bit of a grey area when spoke about on this forum as to what qualifications earn you the right to call yourself one. What quals did you have before getting work on wind turbines mate and what are the minimum to get your foot in the door to get in house training?

Cheers, Ben

windtech · Dec 14, 2011

when i started 1 guy went to college and done 2330 and never worked, 1 guy done the first half of 2330 and had worked for a year, half where x navy raf army etc, 1 was a rigger the rest where time served sparks and mechanics. as its a new industry they take on a wide range of people. You need some sort of technical training or be x-forces. The way they see it they take on youngsters who will be in the industry for a long time and put them with time served people who might only have 5 or 10 years left to learn from. the oldest on my site is 46 years old he has been working 18 months as a wind tech.

wade88 · Dec 14, 2011

Well i just went on the bwea site and had a little potter about on it. Salary jumps seem pretty huge, its either 20k for a wind tech or 35 plus when you start to get into management and project planning. I guess the obvious jumps in career are exactly thatm start at the "bottom" fixing and maintaining them, then work your up to the warmth of an office planning it. Similar to most jobs in a way i guess.

I was looking at the Siemens off shore jobs in Sheringham shoal in Norfolk last year but they were so vague about what was required to stand a chance of a successful applications, i think the OP is right in saying the future most certainly lies in renweable energy sources and thats why i was so keen to get into it, the main reason i changed my career plans initially to a degree and decided to try and pick up some qualifications in this arena was to put me in with a chance of getting a job in wind.

How do you find your job? Is it a good challenege everyday, always something a bit different and interesting? Im guessing your a wind tech too

windtech · Dec 14, 2011

Siemens salary starts at 22k plus uplifts ie 25% offshore bonus, 10% shift bonus to name a few. I love my job I get trains in electrics hydraulics plc's and mechanical . All training is in Germany or Denmark and I dink work in wind high wave ice etc. I work 4 days on 4 days off and come home everynight. It's 2 hour journey each way on a boat what's got a 42 inch tv wii and ps3 so at most I'm only working 7 hours out of a 11.5 hour day, and I havn't set foot on a turbine since the beginning of November because of bad weather and I still get paid!!! The only negative is my manager is a dick

wade88 · Dec 14, 2011

Hahaha, well i guess you cant win them all right pal?

So what prior quals did you have mate before getting the job. I only have C&G quals that allow me to carry out domestic electrical work and any commercial and industrial work that i feel competent to do. I do some three phase stuff but not a lot if im honest. The odd contactor here and there and wiring motors etc. My mechanical knowledge improves everyday as i am reponsible for all company maintenance and i do a lot of welding. Would i have enough under my belt to get a foot in the door?

windtech · Dec 14, 2011

Upto 2360 c course and 2391 am2 I don't have nvq3 but I'm 36 yers old, onc in enginering courses in fire alarms and other simalur stuff. Out of 60 techs I'm 1 of most technical but I was a industrial sparks before. There's 3 types of plc's on are 3.6GW turbines and they tell u what's wrong with it. So most of the time fault finding is easy, and 80% of the work Is annual service so u do the same thing every week. U always work in teams and u have to be a lvl7 tech to take control of the turbine so there's always 1 person who know what to do. We have guys who have worked for 2 years and there still lvl4 I passed my lvl7 in 9 months but I had prior experience. Siemens write the wind turbine safety rules in the uk like are bs7671 and siemens only trains people who don't work for them to lvl 4. so if u start with siemens u train to lvl7 then other firms offer u big bucks so they can take control of the turbines them selfs like painters net testers etc as siemens charge 2k a dayif they need a tech to shut down the turbine. You can go to siemens for your basic training unto lvl 4 but they charge 75k for 7 weeks what is slot of money to get a start. But if u work for siemens they just put u through it all after 7 weeks u come out with your offshore survial basic climbing, climbing rescue, slinger banksman ,lvl1-4, first aid and safety passport( like ecs card) but for offshore, power stations etc. And you get between 3 and 6% of your wages as a Xmas bonus. Techs on construction who live on a jackup bardge at sea for 3 weeks with 1 week off are on 60-70k a year

wade88 · Dec 14, 2011

Ah you see i dont have 2391, and come the end of this year its being scrapped and turned into three div quals i believe which i dont tihnk ill be going for anyway. i really like the sound of the work, not sure about the 4 weeks off part, as i assume that is unpaid?! Sounds a bit dangerous to me.

How much time do you spend in the office so to speak and how much time out and about doing stuff and getting your hands dirty? I really cant be doing with office time, drives me insane.

windtech · Dec 14, 2011

U don't need 2391 and technical background at any lvl can get u through the door even if its nvq2 in car machanics. If there weathers good u are out on the turbines and if it's bad weather we sit in the office sorting out tools paperwork etc for when we go out again then we get sent home on full pay on a bad day we are in the office 2 hours before we get sent home. If we get out we spend about 30mins in the morning with toolbox talk and sorting out gear and about 20 mins at the end of the day with paperwork

wade88 · Dec 15, 2011

Ok last question mate as im sure your getting a bit fed up of this bombardment and ive totally high jacked the OP thread, but what wouold you suggest is the best way to go around getting a job in the industry? Did you just apply for a job ad you saw? or did you directly approach a company and hand in a CV? Its definitely something i want to look into, problem is i would probably have to relocate in order to find work as im pretty sure the Surrey area doesnt have a large wind turbine population....

windtech · Dec 15, 2011

Just apply on bwea.com , if they say no keep applying even if u get a interview and don't get the job keep apply bud. It doesn't matter wear u live if u work for projects ie construction u work from home and get a car to travel to work and stay in a hotel or jackup barge at sea. If u go for a job on a site u will have to be no more than a hour away unless it's a new site being built they will take u on and u have to relocate when the site is finished but u will work at a different site while it's being built the will give u a hire car an hotel expenses etc, I had to do this for 14 months before I got to my site. So u could get fully trained before u get there and change job/site etc as they won't want to lose you because it cost so much to train u, I have know 6 people to do this