Across the United States, wind farms are pumping out a precious commodity, vital to our planet's future. Our wind economy is growing at a rapid rate, with plenty of open areas where turbines can go.
But for all the good that comes with this mode of renewable energy, there exists a problem: wind turbines don't last forever.
Turbines are only built to last between 20 to 30 years. And sometimes they come down sooner. A 1 MW turbine can be replaced by a 4.5 MW turbine on the same piece of land, that would generate that much more power in a higher tower, with longer blades.
When they come down, most of the parts can be reused or easily recycled. But those decommissioned blades - some as long as the wings of a Boeing 747 - present a herculean challenge.
"Fiberglass has long been a problem in the wind industry. What to do with it once it reaches its end of life? So we were tasked with finding solutions for the blades," said Parker Kowalski who is Managing Director of Brand for a company called Canvus.
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