Neal Gyngard’s Post

Stan you and Neal our both incorrect about what the average person thinks about the wind energy industry. We all know it is not a nonprofit industry. We expect every company from McDonalds to Vestas to make a profit. We also have great hope that renewable energy will help us to live longer and healthier. My Airbnb in small town Iowa is micro-biography of farmland to wind farm. I have hosted crews from the environmental impact studies to blade replacement over a six year period. I have observed the long hours, injuries, and unbearable weather conditions. Currently, the crew is waiting for snow plows to break through 4 ft of snow drifts on gravel roads. Prior to that, in the same week, waiting for 35 mph wind to die and -22 temp to thaw out door to get in. Like all industries, wind turbines owners need to take care of employees or lose them. I have had time to think about how to help the life of the techs for the better when they ate not at work.

Appreciate all you do for this Industry Neal!

The folks working here may beleive they are helping the world be a better place, and I think that’s ok. But many are doing a job, it’s hard work out in the elements and significantly different then the folks working the warehouse like gas/ steam or the laboratory like conditions at nuclear power plants. But companies can do things that help the folks out, training is important but overlooked, advancement is equally overlooked, and generally the video you have here shows something that is a simple way to help techs that someone quit. The turbine in the video used to have doors on the spinner to keep the rain, snow, and ice off of the tiny footing you have to stand on to work in the hub. By costing out the little bit of fiberglass and door hinge, the company proved they don’t care for the tech as much is saving a dime. Basic ergonomics seem to not even be an after thought. It’s difficult for companies to make these a priority as mostly the field is greatly separated from the upper management until something goes wrong. There have been some advancements made in climb assists and other things, but I know we can do better too.

In my opinion, the public doesn’t see through it, they don’t even know it exists. What I mean, business is playing a dangerous game, pretending to generally care about things outside of its scope of work. The public at large only cares that if they turn the light switch on, the lights turn on. They are dependent on electricity for heating and Ac, food storage, and many other things, not to mention medical needs. So, when they flip that switch and it doesn’t turn on, they turn against utility and generation like a petulant child who starts crying because they fell down. The business touting their greeness, are courting something interesting. As the general public doesn’t care, this is an attempt to garnish support from a vocal minority that does. We rode the “clean energy” wave when I joined, then suddenly folks realized that turbines have oil in them, they started picketing our sites that only weeks before they were excited about, then we were bird killing machines, and then the term “green power”’was coined…because that somehow meant we had oil. My point is, these vocal minority that care, make no decisions on the purchase of energy, and will turn on you like the story of the scorpion and the frog.

I couldn't agree more! The tech and its future prospects and the potential interactions we, future technicians, may have with them is exhilarating! Sure, from every angle of the Overlapping Spheres, every pinnacle's money, but for me I find this field interesting because of its technological advancements and continue to look forward to the future which more Spheres overlap as technology advances.

RNWBL has five presenters this year...FIVE!!! We touch technology, PWA, Drivetrains, Solar, and safety...we're excited about it!

“No-Fluff Neal” 😎 Straight to the point and I fully embrace it🤘

Well said Neal. OMS we are looking forward to more focus on the technology and the workforce development. Working more closely as an industry to solve these problems is a great place for us all to start.

Love this

Well said