Wind Turbine Inspection Service

Inspect wind turbine blades and towers with drones

Startup Cost
$12,000-$50,000
Difficulty
Advanced
Time to Profit
12-18 months
Profit Potential
$17,000-$100,000/month

Overview

Wind turbine inspectors charge $800-$3,000 per turbine.

Inspecting 100-400 turbines annually generates $200,000-$1,200,000 with 65-80% margins.

In 2025, wind farms need cost-effective blade inspections.

Services include blade visual inspections ($800-$2,000 per turbine), high-resolution blade damage documentation ($1,000-$3,000), tower and nacelle inspections ($600-$1,500), thermal generator scans ($800-$2,000), lightning damage assessment ($1,000-$2,500), and O&M inspection programs.

Successful inspectors reduce downtime vs rope access, identify blade damage early, provide detailed blade maps, work during turbine operation, and reduce inspection costs significantly.

Wind farm operators and O&M as clients.

Marketing through wind energy companies, wind farm developers, O&M providers, turbine manufacturers, and renewable energy conferences.

Required Skills

  • Advanced Drone Piloting
  • Wind Energy Knowledge
  • Blade Damage Assessment
  • High-Wind Operations
  • Technical Photography
  • Safety Compliance

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Much safer than rope access
  • Faster inspections reduce downtime
  • Growing wind energy industry
  • High volume wind farm contracts
  • Recurring annual inspections

Cons

  • Challenging high-wind flying
  • Remote wind farm locations
  • Need wind energy expertise
  • Professional equipment investment
  • Competition from rope access companies

How to Get Started

  1. Get FAA Part 107 and wind safety training
  2. Master high-wind drone operations
  3. Learn wind turbine blade damage types
  4. Invest in long-range inspection equipment
  5. Market to wind farm operators and O&M
  6. Conduct efficient turbine blade inspections
  7. Provide detailed damage reports

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