The Spanish company Acciona Energia uses fiberglass obtained from the blades of used wind turbines to manufacture torsion beams for solar tracking devices. It is using the technology as part of a pilot project in Badajoz, Spain.
Acciona Energia has revealed that it is using fiberglass from used wind turbine blades to make torsion beams for horizontal solar mounting structures.
The pilot project uses a micronization process for decommissioned wind turbine blades. The Spanish solar developer said this technology reduces the size of glass fiber to microns – mostly through mechanical conversion techniques.
“The printed powder is very versatile and can be used as a recycled raw material in the production of new products,” says Acciona Energia.
The company combines glass fiber powder as a filler through a later process together with resin and reinforcing fiber. It then heats this into a mold to produce a profile with the desired geometry and length.
Acciona Energia is testing the results of the installation structure at the Extremadura I-II-III solar power plant in Badajoz, Spain.
“In the medium term, we have commercial solutions,” said Asun Padrós, Innovation Project Manager at Acciona Energia.
