Windstory #22 – Now you can brag about having climbed a wind turbine (even if it’s not true)
For all those who have never had the chance to climb a turbine but would like to have a photo from the top of one, here’s how to do it.
Hello everyone and welcome to a new issue of Windletter. I'm Sergio Fernández Munguía (@Sergio_FerMun) and here we discuss the latest news in the wind power sector from a different perspective. If you're not subscribed to the newsletter, you can do so here.
Windletter is sponsored by:
🔹 Tetrace. Reference provider of O&M services, engineering, supervision, and spare parts in the renewable energy market. More information here.
🔹 RenerCycle. Development and commercialization of specialized circular economy solutions and services for renewable energies. More information here.
🔹 Nabrawind. Design, development, manufacturing, and commercialization of advanced wind technologies. More information here.
Windletter está disponible en español aquí
Windstory is the feature section of Windletter. A space for in-depth, single-topic stories and interesting tales from across the wind energy sector.
From time to time, without a fixed schedule, a new edition of Windstory will land in your inbox. You can read other features here.
Today’s edition is a bit different and, I think, quite a fun one. Let me know what you think 😁
I encourage you to try it yourself and share it on social media, mentioning or tagging Windletter.
Now you can brag about having climbed a wind turbine (even if it’s not true)
Climbing a wind turbine is one of those experiences longed for by many professionals and enthusiasts in the wind-energy sector. However, it is not as easy to achieve as it might seem.
If you are just an enthusiast, it is extremely difficult, unless you happen to know someone who can “sneak you in” and let you skip the established safety procedures.
If that is how you manage it, I would rather not know 🫣.
I have also heard that it is sometimes possible to climb a wind turbine without holding a GWO certificate, as long as you are accompanied by two certified technicians, with at least one of them qualified as a rescuer. Apparently, this is an exception some companies allow for occasional visits or inspections, always under authorization and without performing any maintenance work. And well, it is the formula that many CEOs and executives usually use when they climb turbines 🙂.
If you work in the sector, you might think it is easier, but in truth, it is not. Unless it is strictly required for your job, companies rarely cover the cost of the GWO course. And this certificate, which is quite expensive, is absolutely necessary to legally climb a wind turbine.
So the truth is that many people working in the sector have never been able to climb a turbine. And that’s a shame.
In fact, it is quite possible that someone has asked you at some point whether you have ever climbed a wind turbine, to which many of you have had to give a disappointing “No 😔”.
Until today.
Thanks to artificial intelligence, you can now brag to friends and family that you have climbed a wind turbine. Even if it’s not true 🙃
Along with one of the latest updates to Gemini, Google’s artificial intelligence, comes the “Nano Banana” image creation and editing model, capable of modifying images with a level of quality and realism that is frankly “scary”.
So, for all those who have never had the chance to climb a turbine but would like to have a photo from the top of one, here’s how you can do it.
Whether you want to use it to impress your friends and family, or to post it on you Tinder profile, that’s entirely up to you 😂
How to get a selfie from the top of a wind turbine with Nano Banana
Let’s get straight to the point with an example.
Go to Gemini. It’s completely free if you have a Google account. Access it here.
Example 1: trying with a stock photo
For the first example, I used a stock photo of this nice girl.
I pasted it into Gemini’s chat after activating the “Image” button, the one with the little banana emoji.
Then, without hitting send yet, I pasted the following prompt into the chat (although in theory prompts in English yield better results, you can try translating it if you want):
Transform the provided selfie into an ultra-realistic scene in which the person appears on top of a modern wind turbine. Keep the same framing and body proportions as in the original photo (if only half the body is shown, keep it that way). Maintain the person’s original facial features and expression, naturally adapted to the selfie pose with the phone.
Replace the original outfit with full protective gear: a white safety helmet, clear protective glasses, a dark blue work overall, a safety harness with visible ropes, gloves, and work boots.
The background should show a landscape with several wind turbines distributed across an open field, under a clear sky with soft clouds and natural mid-morning light, creating soft shadows and realistic colors.
The image should be high resolution (4K), with sharp textures on clothing and equipment, natural colors, and a depth-of-field effect: the person in sharp focus and the landscape slightly blurred for a realistic photographic finish.
After hitting send and waiting a few seconds, the result is frighteningly good 😯
Example 2: trying with a photo of myself
Leaving stock photos aside, I decided to play guinea pig for you all.
Here’s a selfie I took while out for a walk.
After giving the prompt to Gemini, here’s the result. If you look closely, it got a bit confused with the nacelle and the rotor right behind my head. But the rest of the elements, and the landscape, look quite believable.
If you keep insisting without changing the prompt, some more convincing options start to appear. In the photo below, for example, it decided to place me sitting down.
The nacelle in the picture looks very cylindrical, but it could easily resemble that of the Siemens Gamesa D3 direct drive. If you look closely at small details, like the harness, you’ll notice some inconsistencies, but at a quick glance it looks quite well done.
I tried modifying the prompt to ask for a photo in the context of an offshore wind farm, and honestly, it looks quite believable, although it’s not entirely clear whether I’m standing on the nacelle or on the transition piece 😂
As you can see, for some reason, in the offshore version it decided to keep my regular glasses and add the safety goggles on the helmet… 😅 And notice the detail of the life jacket!
In general, the more you try, the easier it gets to achieve better results.
Would you like to try creating your own photos?
If you do and decide to post them on social media, you can mention me or tag the Windletter account.
I hope you enjoy this slightly different edition with a touch of humour. And if you manage to “fool” your family or friends, please let me know 😂
Thank you very much for reading Windletter and many thanks to Tetrace, RenerCycle and Nabrawind our main sponsors, for making it possible. If you liked it:
Give it a ❤️
Share it on WhatsApp with this link
And if you feel like it, recommend Windletter to help me grow 🚀
See you next time!
Disclaimer: The opinions presented in Windletter are mine and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.