New Wind Work
I’ve been busy this summer documenting the installation of 76 brand new wind turbines near Freedom New York.
Everyone sees the giant blades and towers but there is a lot going on behind the scenes with these wind farms. The amount of civil engineering, dirt moving, trenching, and just plain project logistics is impressive.
The guys that lift the tower sections and then the nacelle and finally the blades are called topping crews. This is where things are a little more high stakes. These wind farms are located in places with constant winds so installing a 180’ blade with 20mph winds is… tricky.
The amount of rigging with cranes involved is amazing. Imagine balancing a 20 ton piece of aluminum designed to be moved by wind up in the air 250’.
These topping crews have a kind of quiet smooth efficiency and communication with each other that is fun to watch.
