Wind Turbine Inspection Service
Inspect wind turbine blades and towers with drones
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
- Get FAA Part 107 and wind safety training
- Master high-wind drone operations
- Learn wind turbine blade damage types
- Invest in long-range inspection equipment
- Market to wind farm operators and O&M
- Conduct efficient turbine blade inspections
- Provide detailed damage reports
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