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January 19, 2008
It’s a bird, it’s a plane…no, it’s rooftop wind turbines
Photos: Left, steel beams are lifted by crane to the roof of the St. Louis County Government Services Center on Thursday morning, Jan. 17. Rgiht: Wind turbines by AeroVironment Inc. on the Staples Fulfillment Center in Ontario, CA
From an article by Richard Thomas posted on Business North.com:
This month St. Louis County will add wind power to the Government Services Center at 320 W. 2nd St. in Duluth.AeroVironment Inc.,based in Monrovia, CA, will provide the micro turbines. It is one of a handful of companies nationwide that build small rooftop windmills for urban and suburban settings.
The St. Louis County pilot project uses six turbines, each six feet in diameter and producing an output of one thousand watts. They will perch on the east edge of the rooftop to catch wind off Lake Superior. Being placed at the parapet enables the turbines to take advantage of the "chimney effect" of wind hitting the side of the building and traveling upwards at increased speed.
Construction began Thurs., Jan. 17, when a crane lifted sections of a 40-foot infrastructure support I-beam onto the roof. Technicians from AeroVironment are expected to arrive during the following week to install the turbines.
The county hopes the turbines will shave costs from its $11,000-$12,000 per month electric bill. If it doesn’t produce results in the first year, the county has the option to move it to another county building, such as in Pike Lake or Hibbing, where it may be more productive, said St. Louis County property management director Tony Mancuso.
AieroVironment also installed small turbines on the roof of a Kettle Foods plant in Beloit.
Posted by Ed Blume at January 19, 2008 12:14 PM