Maintenance on Ex turbine begins

Exhibition Place Turbine Maintenance replaces the main bearing, updates control systems, and services the rotor and generator with heavy cranes, extending lifespan and reliability for Toronto wind energy, clean renewable power, and lower CO2 emissions.

Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc. and the WindShare Co-operative advise that maintenance on the wind turbine at the Exhibition Place site is currently being done.

The turbine's rotor and generator will be removed, serviced and re-installed with the aid of two large construction cranes, similar to when it was raised at Exhibition Place during earlier operations. This scheduled maintenance will focus on replacing the main bearing of the turbine and updating the controls.

"The bearing change-out is intended to extend the Ex Place turbine's lifespan," explains Dianne Saxe, President of WindShare. "On behalf of our 400 community members, we're pleased that this technical maintenance will help continue the generation of clean renewable wind power in Toronto, even as utilities undertake Chesterville transformer station upgrades elsewhere in Ontario."

The maintenance is expected to be completed by April 30, complementing Hydro One reliability upgrades underway across Toronto.

In 2002, Toronto Hydro Energy Services Inc., with WindShare, constructed Canada's first urban wind turbine. Situated on a busy commuter route and in a major cultural, business and tourist site in Toronto it has helped to raise awareness about the nature of wind power. In 2010, the wind turbine achieved:

• A 94 per cent operating availability rate, supporting grid growth alongside a new transformer station initiatives in Toronto

• A 1,000 megawatt-hours of electricity production, the equivalent of powering 200 homes with 100 "green" electricity

• A displacement of 380 tonnes of CO2, the equivalent of taking 1,300 cars off the road or planting 30,000 trees each year.

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