Wind generation has become America’s number one source of renewable electricity generation, according to figures from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The EIA says that wind generation totaled 300 million megawatt hours (MWh) last year, compared to 26 million MWh generated by hydroelectric power.
And that’s good news for people in the wind turbine industry – or people seeking wind turbine jobs – as well as people who make, sell and calibrate torque tools, which are invaluable for turbine construction.
In this blog post, we’ll look at the current wind turbine jobs forecast – what jobs are out there, what they entail – and discuss how torque tools can help people in this field.
Wind turbine jobs – What do wind turbine technicians do?
Searching for “wind turbine jobs” yields quite a few results, but perhaps the most common wind turbine job titles are “wind turbine technician”/”wind turbine tech.”
It’s not a bad job, according to U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Jobs” rankings. It’s one of the highest paying jobs for workers without a college degree and number two on their list of best maintenance and repair jobs.
Wind turbine salaries for technicians range from nearly $70,000 a year for the top 25 percent to just under $45,000 per year in the bottom quarter.
- What they do – Install, maintain and repair wind turbines
- Where they work – Typically outdoors, and often in confined spaces or at great heights
- Wind turbine training and certification – Most wind turbine techs learn their craft at trade schools. The S. Department of Energy includes a list of training programs for wind turbine certification on its website.
- Outlook – The number of wind turbine jobs is expected to grow by 57 percent over the next decade, a rate much faster than other sectors.
Wind turbine jobs and torque tools
As we said earlier, wind turbine jobs often involve working high off the ground. And when you’re high atop a turbine, there isn’t much time to wonder if you have the right tools.
That’s why so many professionals in this field – including companies like General Electric – rely on the wind industry torque tools made by RAD.
Designed for both precision and durability, these tools are used to construct and maintain wind power facilities and meet the unique needs of the industry.
Among these tools is the E-RAD, an electric torque wrench that offers some important features for wind turbine jobs:
They’re lightweight, with an unrivaled power-to-weight ratio that removes the need for hydraulic pumps and eliminates operator fatigue.- They can handle high-torque bolting, which is useful for tower bolts which can require as many as 15,000 foot pounds.
- They’re versatile, offering a torque range of 800 to 15,000 foot pounds.
- They’re quiet, running at 75dB.
- They’re faster than hydraulic torque wrenches, providing smooth, continuous torque to decrease the time it takes to fasten bolts by as much as 300 percent.
Maxpro is the nation’s leading supplier of torque tools, and home to an A2LA-accredited calibration lab that can make sure your wrenches are ready to operate. Contact us before you embark on your next wind turbine job to find the appropriate tool for your application.
