A local manufacturer of green technology is trying to go greener by erecting a 37-foot tall wind turbine on its Waterview Drive site.
A local manufacturer of green technology is trying to go even greener by erecting a wind turbine on its Waterview Drive site.
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the windmill proposal, from Poulsen Hybrid LLC, of 6 Waterview Drive, Tuesday night in City Hall.
The structure’s blades will be 15 feet in diameter and it will be used to power the plant’s lights, said Frank Kuchinski, the company’s vice president of Marketing.
“This is an experiment. It’s a baby step,” Kuchinski said. “It’s really a challenge as a manufacturer to not use electricity.”
The idea concerned one board member, who worried it would be visible from the roadway or would serve as an advertisement for the company.
However, the building is surrounded by trees and has no neighbors, said Richard Schultz, the city’s Planning and Zoning Administrator.
“This is an ideal test run,” he said.
Passersby might catch a glimpse of a turbine blade, but not likely, Kuchinski added.
“When its running, you’re not going to see it at all,” he said.
To allay concerns, zoning officials will monitor the site and Kuchinski said he would take the turbine down if it stopped working and could not be fixed. He did not say when the turbine would be erected.
The turbine will be 37 1/2 feet tall, and would operate quietly, according to a two-page handout Kuchinski gave the panel.
It could, at most, generate 3 kilowatts of electricity, enough to assist the plant but not enough to sell, Kuchinski noted.
The device’s presence would demonstrate how to reduce energy dependency on fossil fuels, while showing technological advances in electric motor and generator design, Kuchinski said.
He said the turbine is an extension of Poulsen Hybrid’s technology, which allows cars to use more electricity than gas.
