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THE POWER ISSUE
WINDS OF CHANGE
EVER WONDERED WHAT IT ’ S LIKE TO WORK IN WIND POWER ? WELL , IT ’ S YOUR LUCKY DAY – WE ’ VE DONE THE HARD YARDS FOR YOUR NEXT CAREER MOVE .
Wind power is where it ’ s at right now . In 2019 , for the first time , wind overtook hydro as Australia ’ s leading source of clean energy . It now supplies 35 per cent of our clean energy and almost 10 per cent per cent of overall electricity .
It ’ s a trend that ’ s set to continue , and if you ’ re an electrician the consequences are simple : more job opportunities . Here ’ s what you need to know about working in wind .
WIND POWER WORKFORCES At the end of 2018 , there were 94 wind farms in Australia , delivering almost 16GW of wind generation capacity across all states . Eight wind farms were commissioned in 2019 , adding a whopping 837MW of new generating capacity – the highest amount in the history of the Australian wind industry . According to the Clean Energy Council , 30 wind farms with a combined capacity of 5.5GW were under construction or financially committed at the end of 2019 .
Two main types of electrical workforces are employed in wind , says Dr Anita Talberg , Director of Workforce Development at the Clean Energy Council . “ There ’ s the construction workforce , which connects up the turbines and does the commissioning side of things ,” she says . “ It ’ s usually quite a big workforce , and it ’ s project-based , with workers usually spending one to two years on each project – the time it takes to build a wind farm .”
Then there ’ s the operation and maintenance workforce , which are typically employed in long-term roles to service the 25-year life cycle of a wind farm . “ You wouldn ’ t be moving around – you would be tethered to one wind farm , or maybe two or three wind farms , depending on the ownership model ,” says Dr Talberg .
SKILLS IN NEED Gary Lucas , a senior ESI training consultant at Aurecon , says electricians working in wind power need skills in operating , maintaining and fault-finding of electrical , mechanical and control systems associated with wind turbines . These systems include “ lowvoltage and high-voltage reticulation , requiring the ability to operate and coordinate the local HV network ”, he says . “ Digital skills , including automation and SCADA , are required for monitoring conditions of both plant and equipment , as well as climatic conditions impacting power generation .”
And then , of course , there ’ s the height factor – if you ’ re acrophobic , this is not the career for you .
“ Electricians are required to work in turbine towers , and this requires additional training and skills ,” says Lucas .
Dr Talberg says because many wind farms are built out in woop woop , there ’ s demand for electricians with good general skills in the operation and maintenance workforce . “ In regional areas , there ’ s a need for electricians with more wellrounded skills who can work across lots of different areas and fill different roles , helping to troubleshoot and maintain the system ,” she says . >>
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