Name: Søren Reiths
Position: Service technician / HV technician
Education: Electrician
Been with KK: since 2013
What is your work like?
I am an all-rounder with a broad skill set, which means that I handle everything from correcting errors on our control cabinets to servicing our high voltage cables. I am one of the few service technicians in our company who’s competences have that variety. I typically work on a project for 6-8 months in a row after which I am sent to a new project that needs to be started. I believe this is due to my all-rounder skills.
Usual workday
We start the day with a briefing between 6-7 in the morning. Then we pack our own tools and the spares we need to bring, - and are sent to an offshore turbine. When the boat put in at the turbine, we access via a gangway directly from the supply vessel. This is a quite new approach compared to how we previously used to access the offshore turbines, where technicians used a small transfer-boat and then climbed up to the turbine-platform.
Then we start correcting the failures according to the error messages received or performing the scheduled service. Before leaving the turbine, we run a test to ensure everything is ok.
In this job it is very important to be flexible and willing to adapt. For instance, when you expect your workday to be about changing a circuit board and has prepared for that, then, during the morning briefing plans may change as there might be another turbine with a more urgent problem.
The turbines are connected so an error on turbine number one can affect ten other turbines. This means that before correcting failures on turbine no. 5 you have to get no. 1 up and running to ensure as many turbines as possible are running.
Part of the job is to inform the customer about the failure as well as communicating it to one’s colleagues. We actually share a lot of knowledge – especially if we have experienced some interesting failures seen from an electrician’s point of view. We help each other across companies. I believe this is due to our professional pride - that we want to make sure to have as many turbines up and running as possible.
We have a two week rotation with 12-14 hour-work days. This means that it is important that your home base supports this life style.
I furthermore take a lot of courses to stay updated with the latest technologies. I believe it amounts to almost a month per year.
Why do you work at KK?
I think I have an interesting job. I like it because the tasks are so varied and different, which means that I keep getting new professional challenges. Working with wind turbines is funny and challenging because they contain everything from software to high voltage. We also assist on other stuff, but 95% of our tasks is handling the electrical parts.
How do you contribute to the Wind Power Wizards culture in KK?
I contribute by bringing input to our prototype department with regards to diagrams and component placement. They may not adapt every input they receive, but they certainly listen. As a technician you actually CAN contribute to improving our products.
It is important to listen to the customer’s needs and communicate it back to the organization. Officially, we only have a debriefing when we complete a project, but once a week I send a report to my project manager, - or if I find out that the customer demands a specific solution. The communication is easy as we are already out there – and I have a good cooperation with the R&D department. The service department is definitely an integrated part of developing our product portfolio.
