Andrew Sweenie – #Team Renewables

With more turbines being commissioned than ever before, maintaining turbine quality is a critical element of sustaining the expansion of wind power. 

In this latest edition of Team Renewables, we speak to Andrew Sweenie, Quality Manager for Turbine Operations and Maintenance in the UK&I. 

After joining RES in April 2021, Andrew has been involved in implementing ways of working across the team such as creating procedures and monitoring compliance, executing audits and anything else that comes his way! 

Read more about Andrew in the latest #TeamRenewables: 

Career Journey 

I started off my career working in the railway industry where I developed control systems for trains. I then moved into the renewables industry working for a wind turbine manufacturer where I looked after all things electrical and SCADA for turbines in service across Northern Europe. Following that, I worked for a company managing the delivery and upgrade of software used by Distribution Network Operators to monitor and manage their networks. 

What attracted you to work in the renewables industry? 

I studied a multidisciplinary degree in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering and had enjoyed working across various systems in the railway industry. I was initially attracted to working in the wind industry from a technical perspective considering the diverse technical work I was able to get involved with. I also wanted to work in an industry where I would be doing something meaningful and making a positive contribution to the environment. 

What are you most proud of at RES? 

During my time at RES the O&M team has continued to grow, successfully taking on several challenging new projects and I’m proud to have played a part in the success of that. There are always opportunities to learn and improve, and the team embraces that culture. 

I enjoy seeing something I’ve worked on out in the real world, be that sitting on a train that I helped design or passing by operational wind farms that I’ve worked on. Friends and family are maybe a little less enthused when I’m pointing out some of the finer nuances of a train or wind turbine, but that’s their loss! 

Where do you see your career in 5 years’ time?  

There are a lot of wind farms consented, under construction, and already in operation that need looking after for many years to come. The O&M business has an impressive multi-platform service offering which is continuing to grow. My role involves ensuring that we continue to deliver to the same high standards that we have done up until now. With the growth in this area of the business, I expect that I will be kept busy for some years to come! 

A day in the life?  

Every day is different. I could be carrying out an audit on one of our wind farms, creating or updating procedures, tracking compliance to our processes, implementing and monitoring process improvements and standardisation, supporting the onboarding of new wind farms, meeting with clients, or working with colleagues from across the RES business on various projects. 

What do you enjoy most about your job?  

I enjoy the variety of the role and getting to work with a lot of talented people with a diverse range of experience. Collaboration is so important and there’s a lot to be gained from sharing knowledge and experience. I’ve had unexpected discussions on site that subsequently led to process changes that then benefit the whole team. Similarly, when I find myself with a particular challenge, there’s always plenty of colleagues that are willing to help out, or at least point me the direction of someone who can. There’s a really positive culture at RES and that is a big part of job satisfaction for me.    

How do you see your role and the industry evolving over the next few years with the growth in the renewables industry? 

Quality affects everything we do and is one of RES’ strategic objectives. Ensuring that we meet our quality objectives helps ensure that the turbines keep spinning, compliance is upheld and ultimately, we provide a professional and valuable service to our clients.  

The importance of quality only increases with the growth of the business as we ensure that we meet the same standards and deliver the same high level of service across all of our wind farms.

Do you have any hobbies or interests? 

I’m a keen musician and play clarinet with a number of orchestras and chamber music groups around Scotland. A few years ago, I went on tour to Germany with an orchestra, where I was fortunate enough to be the soloist in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto – that was definitely a musical highlight for me!