Narrator: A
harness and a rope are the only tools keeping wind turbine
technicians safe. Narrator: These turbines
are about the size of a 35-floor skyscraper. Narrator: Just a
few years ago, they weren't even
possible to build. Narrator: João Sardo
and his partner are the only specialists who do these
climbs for Generg, a renewable energy
company in Portugal. And their job is
in high demand, as more European countries
adopt wind energy. We went inside and
outside a wind turbine with João to see
what makes his job such a risky business. Wind turbines rarely break, but when they do, they're hard and
expensive to fix. Narrator: That's why he
always inspects everything from the ground first. Narrator: João is a trained
mechanical engineer who joined Portugal's
booming wind industry back in 2004. Today, he's doing a
routine inspection of a new turbine
at a wind farm in the mountains
of Caramulo. Narrator: Drones have
made his job much easier. They help him
locate the damage before climbing. One drone can check
eight turbines in a day, while João and his partner
take an entire day to inspect just one. But there are still
things only human eyes and hands can find. Narrator: He wears
special boots that don't have any metal so they're safe
around electricity and leather gloves
that won't burn if he needs to
quickly rappel down the rope. A crane hauls up a bag
packed with ropes, rappelling gear, and other tools they'll
need at the top. João is gonna climb
up this metal ladder, because the elevator here is out of service. Narrator: This rail lifeline makes sure they
don't get hurt if they miss a step. As an extra safety measure, the turbine is turned
off before each climb, but the transformer is live to keep the lights on. It's about 300
steps to the top. João usually stops
once or twice to catch his breath when he feels his hands
losing their grip. After about 15 minutes, he reaches the nacelle, the heart of a wind turbine where the generator sits. Sometimes he has to
deal with issues here, but today, he's
checking the blades, so he steps outside. Narrator: João
and his partner will inspect the
blades from up close to make sure there's
been no damage since it's been installed. Narrator: Technicians
always work in teams. Narrator: They use hammers to check for damage under
the fiberglass surface. The sound tells them
whether the materials are fracturing underneath. João travels across Europe to train other
professionals. A turbine technician
normally makes about $36,000 a year, nearly double the average
salary in Portugal. And João earns much
more than that. Narrator: One time, a colleague did get hurt. Narrator: The company
João works for, Generg, doesn't
manufacture turbines, but installs them
throughout the country. The larger ones can
generate 4.8 megawatts of energy in an hour, that's enough to power
5,000 European homes. Portugal has been heavily
investing in wind energy since the early 2000s, Today, 70% of
Portugal's energy comes from
renewable sources. Narrator: By 2040, the country expects to
run only on renewables, but there are
still challenges with transportation. Narrator: João
isn't really safe until he's back
on the ground. Every second of the
climb was dangerous. Narrator: But he says he still loves his job.
