The Anorra and Cold Environments

Summer has unfortunately come to an end here in Canada, and the trees have begun their yearly shift from the vibrant greens of summer to the beautiful mosaics of red, yellow, and brown of autumn. However, this also means winter is fast approaching and here at Borrum Energy Solutions, we welcome it with open arms.

Why? Because our microgeneration wind turbine, the Anorra, has been tested at Cold Chamber by an independent testing agency down to temperatures of -50 degrees Celsius. This means we can rest easy knowing that our customers will have the power they need when the nights get cold. 

Now temperatures reaching -50 degrees Celsius are rarely seen in the real world, but it is better to make sure that our generator will still work in the most extreme of Canadian climates.

For example, according to climateatlas.ca, at the Clements Markham Inlet at the northern tip of Nunavut, minimum yearly temperatures average a frigid -38.7 degrees Celsius.

At a more populated latitude, in Sudbury Ontario, minimum average temperature is a comparably balmy -15.9 degrees Celsius.  So, what makes the Anorra able to stand up to such extreme temperatures?

Basically, it comes down to our Canadian designed generator, the blades and having a robust furling system.

The generator is designed with high grade electrical steel for low electromagnetic losses and uses rare earth metal permanent magnets that perform exceptionally well at cold temperatures. Additionally, the magnets have a specific coating to ensure that there is no possibility of magnetic degradation in cold environments.

We make our blades out of carbon fiber, an advanced material that resists deformation when temperatures change. Then, we paint the blades black so that they absorb the heat from the sun and are more resistant to ice formation. Finally, our blades are coated in an ice-minimizing coating to further prevent ice buildup. 

The turbine’s furling system is also designed with cold temperatures in mind so there are no springs or coils that could become brittle and break when the temperatures drop.

So now that you know how well the Anorra can cope with cold environments, give some thought as to which energy solution is right for you. If you are curious about wind power and its pros and cons, check out this post. Also check out our resource page for an infographic summarizing this post. Thanks for reading and as always, feel free to contact us with any questions.