500 steps.
That’s what it takes to reach the top of the last turbine I’ve worked on, just over 150 meters of steel, wind and empty space beneath your feet.
My name’s Mathieu May and I’m a reliability engineer at I-care. My job is to make sure these turbines, whether they’re standing in the middle of a field or far out at sea, keep turning smoothly. A single turbine can power thousands of homes, so every hour of downtime counts. When one stops unexpectedly, the loss is measured in megawatts and in thousands of dollars every hour.
The Day Begins Early
Most days start long before the climb. The plan is defined well in advance: which turbines to visit, what sensors to install, what inspections are due. Once everything’s clear, it’s all about execution.
Onshore, that means an early alarm, a quick breakfast and a drive through quiet roads to the wind farm. Offshore, the day begins differently, maybe a short transfer from port, maybe a wake-up at sea, engines humming and salt in the air. Sometimes you travel for hours only for the weather to turn, wind rising and everything suddenly on hold.
Proper Preparation is Required for the Climb
When we finally reach the site, the preparation begins. Safety briefing, gear inspection, communication with the control room, every step matters. Harness, helmet, sensors, tools; everything gets a second look and everyone checks everyone else.
Offshore, there’s an extra bit of adrenaline before the climb even starts, the transfer from the boat to the ladder platform. You wait for the right wave, grab the ladder and move fast. It’s over in seconds, but it keeps your pulse up every time.
Taking Things Step by Step
Inside the base, the noise fades. Focus settles in. You learn to respect the machine, even after hundreds of climbs, the wind through the blades and the sheer scale of the structure remind you that you’re just a visitor here.
Some turbines have small service lifts that make the ascent easier, especially offshore. But there’s always a ladder somewhere, and when the lift isn’t an option, it’s fifteen minutes of steady climbing, harness clipped, tool bag bumping against you. Every climb uses a fall-arrest system, one line always clipped. We train for rescue scenarios regularly, though we hope we never need to use them.
Inside the tower, it’s quiet except for the echo of your steps and the low hum of the wind. Every few meters, a small platform lets you pause and catch your breath. Even with experience, there’s always a moment when you think about the height, the steel around you and how much you trust the equipment holding you there, then focus takes over again.
The Real Work Begins at the Top
By the time you reach the nacelle, your breathing’s steady.
That’s where the real work begins. Sometimes it’s installing Wi-care sensors, small wireless devices that measure vibration on key components like the main bearing or gearbox. When the data starts streaming in, you know the turbine’s heartbeat is connected to I-see, I-care’s PdM platform, which processes data in real time.
From there, we analyze trends, detect subtle vibration changes and anticipate potential failures months in advance, giving maintenance teams time to plan interventions instead of reacting to breakdowns.
Other times, the work feels more surgical. Once, vibration analysis data revealed an unusual pattern on a main bearing. My job was to confirm it through a borescope inspection.
The probe slides through a narrow inspection port, light reflecting off oil and steel. The image appears on the small screen, a faint mark, early spalling on the inner race. We capture the photo, tag the file and send it directly to the analysts, who immediately start comparing it to the vibration trend.
One small confirmation, but it can change an entire maintenance plan.
A Reward at the End of the Mission
When the job’s done, we pack the tools, check that everything’s secured and make sure the turbine is safe to restart. Before heading down, we verify that the new monitoring data is streaming correctly, our analysts see it instantly, and confirm with the control room that our work up there is complete. If the weather allows, we take one last look outside, a few seconds to enjoy the view that only a handful of people ever get to see.
Back on the ground or on the boat, you’re tired, sometimes cold, but you know exactly why you do it: to keep these giants turning, optimally and safely!
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