Patent ID: 8281546

Claim:
A method of erecting a wind turbine comprising a concrete tower supporting a nacelle, a generator and a rotor thereon, the method comprising: forming a foundation; assembling a slip form comprising an inner form assembly and an outer form assembly defining an annular casting space therebetween having an open bottom end; supporting the slip form on the foundation; supporting a gantry comprising a primary lifting device above the slip form; pouring concrete into the casting space in the slip form to define a first wall portion of the concrete tower; raising the slip form together with the gantry relative to the first wall portion; pouring concrete into the casting space in the slip form to define a plurality of subsequent wall portions; raising the slip form together with the gantry relative to a previously formed one of the wall portions after concrete is poured into each of the plurality of subsequent wall portions until the concrete tower is formed; transferring the gantry from the slip form to the concrete tower; lifting the nacelle onto the concrete tower using the primary lifting device; lifting the generator onto the concrete tower using the primary lifting device and attaching the generator to the nacelle; lifting the rotor onto the concrete tower using the primary lifting device and attaching the rotor to the generator; supporting a secondary lifting device on the concrete tower; lowering the gantry and the primary lifting device to the foundation using the secondary lifting device.