Wind Turbine Technician

As a Wind Turbine Technician you inspect, maintain, and repair wind turbines to keep them generating electricity safely and efficiently. Your day-to-day duties include carrying out diagnostic checks, identifying mechanical or electrical faults, and performing repair work on components such as gearboxes, hydraulic systems, and control software. You work at height on turbine towers — both onshore across Irish wind farms and increasingly offshore in Irish coastal waters — often as part of a small technical team coordinating with wind engineers and site supervisors. Accurate record-keeping, compliance with health and safety regulations, and prompt fault resolution are central to the role.

Leaving Certificate subjects such as Physics, Mathematics, Engineering, and Construction Studies provide a strong foundation for this career. The most direct route is the Wind Turbine Maintenance Technician apprenticeship, a SOLAS-approved 'earn and learn' programme that combines on-the-job training with off-the-job education, typically resulting in a Level 6 Advanced Craft Certificate. Alternatively, a QQI Level 5 or 6 PLC in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering from a College of Further Education can serve as a stepping stone, and Level 6 or Level 7 programmes in Renewable Energy or Engineering Technology at ATU or MTU are also relevant pathways. Some technicians hold a Higher Certificate (Level 6) or Ordinary Bachelor (Level 7) in Electrical, Mechanical, or Renewable Energy Engineering. Safe Pass, Working at Heights certification, and relevant electrical licences are typically required before working on site.