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PrintJanuary 31, 2010
Minnesota's No-Spin Zone
It seems two favorite green technologies favored by the coastal elites don't work very well in the harsh conditions in parts of flyover country. First came news that energy saving LED traffic lights can't be seen after a snowstorm, a condition that caused at least one fatal accident and which has resulted in additional costs to municipalities who have to pay maintenance crews to remove the snow. Now comes news of wind turbines that are going to need to be retro fitted with heaters if they are to keep spinning when the temperatures get really cold. From KSTP-TV
The Minnesota Municipal Power Association bought 11 turbines for $300,000 each from a company in Palm Springs, Calif.Special hydraulic fluid designed for colder temperatures was used in the turbines, but it's not working, so neither are the turbines.There is a plan to heat the fluid, but officials must find a contractor to do the work.
I wonder how much energy it will take to keep the hydraulic fuel heated?
As a native of Minnesota I was amused to read officials had relied on the manufacturer's word that the turbines would continue to work during the harsh Minnesota, winter. In my younger days when I had a penchant for sports cars, I had received similar assurances from manufactures. I learned the hard way that minus ten Fahrenheit is seldom the friend of precision engineering.
