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Construction Starts On Grouse Mountain Wind Turbine
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by Annina Bergman | September 21, 2009 at 12:38 pm
559 views | 4 Recommendations | 4 comments
Construction on a 65-metre (213 feet) tall wind turbine is set to start on Wednesday, according to the newspaper Metro. The turbine was approved by the District of North Vancouver in October 2008 in a close vote which ended 4-3. The project was delayed in July due to safety concerns when lifting the large turbine blades to the mountain.
The wind turbine will be the first of its kind to contain an elevator within its base cylinder. It will feature a look-out area on the top, with room for 37 people. The wind turbine will generate 1.5 megawatts of electricity, enough to cover a quarter of the mountain's electricity usage.
The cost of the project has not been disclosed. The wind turbine is expected to be finished early next year, before the Olympics.
When it opens in early 2010 (ahead of the Winter Olympics), the turbine will offer panoramic views of the city and an up-close look at the spinning blades. The cost of admission will be announced closer to its opening.
Some Vancouverites have also express concerns about the visual impact of the large windmill, but staff at the ski hill say it will be appear smaller than a toothpick to viewers in Vancouver.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (4)
at 13:16 on September 21st, 2009
This is great news, and making it friendly with an observation area is innovative.
"Some Vancouverites have also express concersn about the visual impact ofthe large windmill."
People probably felt the same way in cities before the advent of skyscrapers. I remember the controversy over the construction of the Transamerica Building in San Francisco years ago. Many thought it would be an eye sore, while others architectually beautiful. Now everyone accepts it as a unique, distinguishing silhouette of the San Francisco skyline. Some day wind turbines will take their place in the landscape and sit proudly on mountain tops all over the world.
at 13:32 on September 21st, 2009
I never understood how people think they are ugly. I think they are beautiful. But people are different.
at 14:14 on September 21st, 2009
The industrial structures of yesteryear are the monuments and architectual wonders of today. Who would deny the grandeur of the Dutch landscape sprinkled with windmills. They built one in Golden Gate Park as a monument. : )
From time immemorial, humanity has utilized the wind for pumping power purposes, but Holland, a land below sea level, was the first country to use the sail mill and construct large units, depicting on the Delph, Royal Copenhagen china and other manufacturers, their country's safeguard. Here was an old idea with foreign insurance companies to equip ships with windmill for pumping ships, and a Norwegian square-rigged ship may be known by the windmill before the main mast. A sailor is better operator of the Dutch windmill than an engineer, for the winds are erratic in their course and nature's laws must be obeyed to give up the unseen power.
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Gromit (not verified)at 19:26 on October 5th, 2009
Grouse uses 6MW? Wow. I guess with the night lighting etc it is plausable but 6MW is massive and here is joe consumer being asked to conserve.