3M Jumps into the Wind Power Business

Adhesive company 3M may not seem like a logical fit with the booming business of wind power, but they’ve found a smart way to profit from the alternative energy industry.  The company has released a new line of fillers and protective coverings that extend the life of wind turbine blades.  The Wind Tape product line is part of 3M’s new Renewable Energy division.

From Finance and Commerce:

“About two years ago, we started an effort to search for wind-energy business partners,” said Dr. Mike Strommen, global wind-energy segment leader for the company’s renewable energy division. “Of our 55,000-plus products, many of them would be a natural match for the wind industry.”

3M quietly rolled out clear and opaque Wind Tape in mid-2007 – one year before the formation of the Renewable Energy division that includes solar and wind power was announced.

Designed to protect the leading edge of 120-foot, 12-ton fiberglass turbines, 3M’s Wind Tape comes in eight-inch wide, 54-foot rolls that cost at least $288.

That’s pretty expensive for a roll of tape, but Strommen said many turbine blades with a factory finish have significant damage after just two years of generating electricity.

“It has a lot to do with wind and erosion control,” he said. “Wind (turbine) blades spin at 180 miles-per-hour. Remember that these blades are composite materials. After a year or two years of use, you can get erosion or pitting at the leading edge of that (turbine) blade.

Very smart, 3M, very smart. It just goes to show that there are thousands of ways that companies can secure a piece of the green pie for themselves – it just takes a little creativity.  Wind tape.  Who woulda thunk it?

Link [Finance and Commerce]

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