Two industry leaders, Rope Partner and Dantec Dynamics, are
pleased to announce their collaboration to substantively
improve wind turbine inspections. read more
"Our goal is to reflect, in all of our communications, the
level of professionalism that we stand for" Eric Stanfield,
President of Rope Partner announced on Thursday. "As the
demand for our services and expertise grows, we recognize
our leadership role in wind energy and understand that our
new brand takes on this responsibility. We have been working
hard to rollout this look and our whole team is excited and
invigorated by it." read more
Chris Bley, the son of an engineer and a school
psychologist, remembers what his life was like right after
he graduated from college -- he sat at his desk, stared out
the window and waited for the weekend to come around. read more
Wind power has skyrocked in the United States over the past
decade. Since 2000, we've gone from about 2,500 megawatts of
installed capacity to more than 40,000. That means a lot
more turbines, and when those turbines need maintenance or
repairs, you want people who are comfortable working 300
feet above ground, hanging from a rope. Rock climbers are
perfect for the job. read more
The trouble with rock climbing is that it doesn’t pay very
well. Or, more precisely, at all. But you take that same
skill set, add training in wind turbine maintenance, and,
voilà – you’ve got a career in renewable energy. read more
Hanging from a rope 150 feet in the air might sound like a
bad dream to some. But for rock climbers in need of a job,
wind-turbine maintenance is a perfect fit. read more
Blades are the leading edge of a wind turbine so their
aerodynamic surfaces carry critical shapes in a fluid (air)
that seems bent on removing the shape. Blade tips often hit
180 mph, so it’s no surprise that sand, rain, and hail
wear and damage their surfaces. read more
Perhaps the biggest challenges to safely repairing a damaged
wind blade in the field are wind and weather. “High winds
will prevent technicians from getting up on the blade to
make the repair, and cold weather will impact the composites
and their ability to cure,” explains Peter Wells, the
business leader for the Blade Services team at Medford,
Ore.-based UpWind Blade Solutions. Wells adds that when
planning inspections and repairs, the process always begins
with safety and quality. read more
Chris Bley and an associate had one of those “ah ha”
moments back in 2000 when they parlayed their passion for
their hobby, rock climbing, into a lucrative career: Wind
turbine maintenance. read more
In a small -- but tall -- office on the Westside, six men
are dangling from the ceiling, entangled in a web of ropes
and metal devices. For the staff at Rope Partner, it's just
another day of employee training. read more
Suspended by ropes from the top of a giant wind turbine, two
men slowly descended down a long, silvery blade. Then they
got to work, and from 150 feet above the ground, the hum of
a sander filled the air. read more
