Private funding. No gears. Minimal noise. Hypnotic rotation. Independent, wholly sustainable energy. A quiet revolution is underway at Grouse Mountain. As wind power rapidly revolutionizes the world of alternative energy, Grouse Mountain’s Quiet Revolution is the embodiment of innovation and responsibility in environmental, social, and economic terms. Stand at the bottom of the 65-metre energy wand and you’ll start to get a sense of the magic. Ascend the elevator to the viewPOD™ attached to the nacelle and you’ll feel like a wizard yourself. Visit often to keep up to date on the progress of this amazing project.
The Eye of the Wind Construction Progress:
Friday January 15, 2010
What a difference a month makes! The Eye of the Wind is now interfacing with the grid. A bit more tweaking and commissioning by our Italian team and we’ll soon be producing power. The elevator is running beautifully and now has two working doors - one at the tower base and one entering into the viewPOD at a height of 57 metres off the ground. We’re now entering into the inspection phase when the various authorities involved in this project must visit and give their nod of approval. Take a look at the photos of the inside of the shaft showing the wind turbine cabling that runs inside the tower and the elevator rails. There’s also a photo showing how the elevator cabin looks from the bottom of the tower.
December 10, 2009
We’ve been asked by a number of skiers on the mountain why The Eye of the Wind isn’t spinning regularly. Rest assured it isn’t due to lack of wind! The blades are kept in a position that prevents them from capturing the movement of the wind while we wait to complete the electrical work. Since the tower was assembled, the team on-site has been finishing the installation of the electrical control building at the base of the tower. This work is integral to power production. For an idea of the gear associated with this unique project, see our photo of the inside of The Eye of the Wind. Also, the elevator installers have been steadily climbing the tower and finishing their work. The elevator cabin can now travel up and down the rails from the very bottom to the top. (See the photo showing the inside of our elevator cabin).
Friday, Novemer 20, 2009
With 150cm of snow at Grouse Mountain the project site of The Eye of the Wind has evolved into something very different. The white steel tower, viewPOD and blades are nearly camouflaged in their snowy surroundings. Access to the site is a large challenge as our team relies on snowmobiles and snowcats. The electrical control building of the structure is now full of the necessary gear that allows us to bring electricity from the generator into our local grid. We will complete the connections and testing of this gear over the next few weeks. Inside of the tower the elevator installation is progressing well. We have a near-complete elevator cab and elevator rails that go as high as 40 metres – two thirds of the way up the 65 metre tower. Still lots of work to do before the holiday season begins.
Friday, October 16, 2009
The Eye of the Wind blades are in motion – somewhat. The post-assembly mechanical work is complete and those with keen eyes will notice that the blades are now spinning freely with the wind at a very slow pace. Though the blades are in motion, the system is not producing any electricity as we still have a few months of electrical work to do before the generator will be connected to our grid in January 2010. Once connected, the blades will be angled in the most optimal direction to the wind which will provide enough force to spin the blades at their top speed of 260km/h at the tips. In the meantime, the elevator installation is in full force.
Friday, October 9, 2009
The site of The Eye of the Wind has been buzzing the past two weeks as we continue with the post-assembly of the wind turbine. Some guests have asked us why the blades are not spinning yet. The brakes are currently activated on the blades as we finish commissioning the mechanical works. In the meantime, we’ve been accessing the tower shaft to complete a long list of electrical work. This week, the elevator installation kicked off and is slowly starting to take shape inside the tower. The Eye of the Wind will be fully operational in January 2010.
Friday September 25, 2009
Today was an unforgettable day. It marked the completion of construction on The Eye of the Wind energy tower at Grouse Mountain and has forever changed the face of alternative, clean energy in British Columbia. We have worked long and hard towards this day and there is a degree of emotion attached to witnessing the structure complete. We have a way to go before it is fully operational and guest accessible, but the completion of the structure solidifies this amazing project as a reality to all of us.
Stay tuned for more updates on the progress concerning elevator installation and readiness for energy production. Thanks to all for your support and enthusiasm. We'll see you in the viewPOD very soon...
Thursday September 24, 2009
Our wind turbine reached 65 metres in height today as the third tower section was lifted into place. Next, the viewPOD – our custom built observation deck - was lifted to its new home looking out over Vancouver. The viewPOD is the only structure of its kind in the world – a true engineering marvel. It is seven metres in diameter, over 30,000 lbs, and offers a 360 degree view of the Lower Mainland, surrounding mountains and the operating wind turbine. The last stage for today was to lift the machine carrier (some call it the nacelle) to the very top of the tower. The machine carrier allows the blade assembly to rotate about the tower and supports the generator, hub and three turbine blades. With the machine carrier in place, the tower has now reached its final 65 metres in height. Tomorrow, the construction continues.
Wednesday September 23, 2009
Today assembly of the Grouse Mountain Turbine officially began. This morning, drivers along the Second Narrow’s Bridge may have noticed the first tower section upright on the top of Peak. We had some challenges bringing the section up Heaven’s Sake ski run because of the sheer weight. The construction crew worked seamlessly to lift the first section into the air, lower it gently in place and bolt it to the foundation. This concrete foundation is installed on bedrock and has 15-metre deep rock-anchors. Next, the middle tower section was lifted and secured into place on top of the first. So we now have a 40 metre tall white tower on our mountain. Assmebly will continue tomorrow.
To view more photos of The Eye of the Wind construction, visit our Flickr Photostream.
Background:
Our commitment to embedding the principles of sustainability into every aspect of our lives includes the pursuit of smarter and better energy alternatives to meet our needs. As part of our Blue Grouse philosophy, we believe wind energy offers a proven approach in environmental and economic responsibility, as well as educational and inspirational value for our communities.
The construction and operation of a single wind turbine atop Grouse Mountain would create B.C.’s first viable wind energy solution.
Grouse Mountain diligently followed the District of North Vancouver's application requirements set out for us in consideration of the necessary building permit to erect this iconic structure. The supporting documents below were presented by representatives of Grouse Mountain and third-party experts (covering wind speeds, wind direction, noise levels and impact on wildlife), at a public information session held at Montroyal Elementary School on September 4, 2008.
Reports Presented:
