// IN SHORT

In short: Installation is the phase where the turbine is erected on its foundation: tower sections first, then the nacelle, hub and blades, lifted by large cranes onshore or from jack-up vessels offshore. Installation technicians work in ground or deck teams and top teams, bolting and aligning each component. They then complete the mechanical and electrical connections and commission the turbine before it's handed over to the client. It's fast, physical teamwork. Beyond GWO BST modules, installation techs are usually expected to hold BTT Installation, Bolt Tightening and Electrical, plus extra modules for lifting and offshore work.

The Dramatic Part, and What's Behind It

It's the sight most people picture: huge cranes lifting massive turbine parts into the sky. Behind those impressive views is a highly technical operation that needs precision, skill and teamwork.

The Installation Sequence

Every turbine is built in a strict order, but the exact method depends on the turbine model and the manufacturer, including whether it's a geared or a direct-drive turbine.

  1. The foundation: the base must be ready first. Onshore, that's a heavy concrete foundation. Offshore, it's a steel foundation in the seabed, usually with a transition piece (TP) on top.
  2. The tower: steel tower sections are lifted one by one, stacked on top of each other and bolted together.
  3. The nacelle: the nacelle is lifted onto the top of the tower. Depending on the turbine, it goes up complete, or as an almost empty housing, with the generator and gearbox lifted in separately and the nacelle closed up at the top.
  4. The hub and blades: there are two main approaches: - The hub goes up with the nacelle (or right after it), and the blades are installed one by one, each in its own lift. This is the most common method today. - The hub and all three blades are assembled on the ground and lifted as one complete rotor.
  5. Completion and commissioning: all mechanical, electrical and hydraulic connections are made, tested and commissioned (more on that below).

👉 What happens before the lifts: Pre-Assembly: What It Involves and What to Expect

Offshore: jack-up vessels

At sea, turbines are mostly installed from jack-up vessels. These ships lower steel legs to the seabed and lift themselves out of the water, creating a stable platform for the crane.

Modern jack-up vessels carry several complete turbine sets per trip. Three or four sets are common. The largest vessels carry five: five towers standing upright on deck, five nacelles, and fifteen blades in racks.

The Installation Technician's Role

The teams

During the lifts, the work is split between teams that stay in constant contact:

  • Ground team (onshore) or deck team (offshore): prepares, rigs and checks each component before it's lifted.
  • Top team: receives the component at the top, guides the crane operator with signals, aligns it, and bolts it into place.
  • Supervisors and HSE: plan the lifts, watch the weather and keep everyone safe.

👉 Lifting work and signalling: Slinger Signaller in the GWO Certificates Quick Guide

🔧 Mechanical completion

You'll help guide large components into position, align the joints, and tighten the bolts with torque and tensioning tools to the manufacturer's exact values. Then you complete the remaining mechanical connections inside the turbine.

⚡ Electrical completion

Most cables are already fitted during pre-assembly. Your job is to connect them up:

  • connect the tower cables to the inter-array cable that links the turbine to the rest of the wind farm
  • connect the cables from the top of the tower to the nacelle
  • connect the electrical components to each other and check that everything works

The final connection to the grid is high-voltage work, done by HV technicians, who are in high demand across the industry.

👉 Electrical Safety: Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) & Arc Flash Protection

⚙️ Commissioning

Commissioning is the final step before the turbine is handed over to the client. It's highly technical. You systematically test every system:

  • running the turbine through its start-up sequences
  • testing emergency stops, brakes and safety sensors
  • testing the yaw and pitch systems, and the many electronic sensors in a modern turbine
  • checking that the hydraulic and electrical systems are connected correctly and working as specified, with no alarms or warnings

The goal: every system works exactly as the manufacturer prescribes, and the turbine is ready for client acceptance.

👉 After handover, maintenance takes over: Maintenance and Troubleshooting: The Backbone of Wind Power

What the Work Is Like

  • Fast and intense: installation depends on good weather windows and expensive equipment. Large cranes cost thousands of euros a day, and offshore jack-up vessels can cost hundreds of thousands a day, plus the whole crew waiting on standby. The pressure to work fast, but safely, is high.
  • Shifts: onshore installation is usually day shifts only. Offshore installation often runs around the clock, in day and night shifts.
  • Physically demanding: long working days at height, heavy tools and changing weather. When the weather is good and the schedule needs catching up, the work can be almost non-stop, with short breaks.
  • Rewarding: for many techs, this is the best job in the industry. There's real pride in seeing a turbine you built, even if, by the time it's commissioned, you're often already working on the next one.

👉 Rotations, accommodation and per diem: Benefits, Schedules & What Life on a Wind Farm Really Looks Like

Which Certificates Do You Need?

GWO's Entry Level Wind Technician Framework lists the recommended training for installation technicians:

Core (everyone):

  • GWO BST: First Aid, Manual Handling, Fire Awareness, Working at Heights
  • GWO BTT: Mechanical

Recommended for installation:

  • GWO BTT Bolt Tightening
  • GWO BTT Installation
  • GWO BTT Electrical
  • GWO Crane and Hoist (Basic User, plus Inspection and Maintenance for some roles)
  • GWO Control of Hazardous Energy (Basic)

Depending on the job and location:

  • BST Sea Survival (offshore)
  • Slinger Signaller (lifting operations)
  • Advanced Rescue Training, Lift User, Enhanced First Aid

On top of GWO, the manufacturer will train you on its own turbines and installation procedures.

👉 OEM and Equipment Training: The Certificates After GWO 👉 Prices: GWO Training Prices in Europe (BST & BTT) and How to Choose a Centre

Getting Into Installation

Installation teams hire a lot of people through agencies and contractors, especially during busy project seasons. Pre-assembly experience is a great stepping stone, because you already know the components from the inside.

👉 Top Wind Energy Employers in Europe 👉 How to Break into Wind Energy with No Experience 📬 Browse current wind jobs and subscribe to job alerts