Windmill Blades Get Second Life

Windmill Blades Get Second Life FARM HOME Miscellaneous Fiberglass wind turbine blades are getting cut up and repurposed as park benches planters and more Finding a use for the 3 000 to 8 000 blades being retired every year is a growing concern Ohio startup Canvus is doing its part “We’ve upcycled around 250 blades and delivered more than 1 000 products in our first 6 months ” says Mike Crissman Canvus “We use the largest part of the blade called the root which is the 100 ft closest to the turbine The smaller and thinner parts can be cut up and burned in concrete production kilns ” Crissman explains that the wind energy industry has struggled to find uses for the root portion of the blade Until recently blades were largely landfilled As pressure builds to keep them out of landfills wind energy companies have struggled to find alternatives Canvus was started to find uses for the blades Initially their team of designers and engineers came up with more than 150 possible uses This was narrowed down to eight “To address the magnitude of the problem of retired turbine blades we needed to create products that were scalable and could be produced in mass ” says Crissman “The final list boiled down to benches and picnic tables ranging from 200 to 2 000 lbs They’re designed largely for public areas in municipalities parks and schoolyards They’re also available for purchase by commercial customers ” The products range in price from $3 689 to $8 212 They range in size from one and 2-person benches to covered benches picnic sets and gathering benches for groups “Our prices are very much in line and in some cases more cost-effective than alternative outdoor furniture for parks ” says Crissman Canvus starts with the raw fiberglass cutting it to size with diamond rope saws used to cut granite The first step creates filets straight cuts through the blade From there the craftsmen utilize a proprietary finish to protect the fiberglass and prevent breakdown “It was a point of emphasis in our planning to turn a section of a blade into a functional form that would stand up to the elements ” says Crissman “After assembling we add an extra coat of protection ” The designers used the molded curves for the final product whether to cradle a seating area or for an overhead shelter Canvus goes a step beyond simply upcycling the fiberglass blades The company also uses recycled rubber from shoes and tires mixed plastics and composite lumber for seating material The outside furniture can be purchased primed and ready for resident artists to decorate at the company design center or for local artists to decorate onsite Their products can also be ordered in one of three colors selected to fit into the natural environment These finishes are produced with a two-part epoxy paint that is graffiti-resistant “We have a brilliant team of designers always thinking of new ideas We welcome ideas and would like to see others create similar solutions for repurposing these blades ” says Crissman Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Canvus 18500 Lake Rd Rocky River Ohio 44116 ph 216-340-7500; info@gocanvus com; www gocanvus com

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