Green Power May Not Save the World, But Can It Help Your Business?

Doug Sharpe
President of Elasto Proxy

"Green power" is more than a buzzword for suppliers of windmills, solar panels, and hydroelectric turbines. As demand for alternative and renewable energy grows, companies that "go green" may also enjoy a stronger bottom line. According to last September's Corporate Renewable Energy Index Report (CREX), businesses are now investing more of their capital on renewable energy projects than on fossil fuel power generation. Can electricity from wind, sun, and water save you money, too?

Sourcing and Pricing Requirements

If your manufacturing company is thinking about on-site power generation, it's important to perform a careful cost analysis. Suppliers of windmills, solar panels, and hydroelectric turbines need to consider their options, too. Government-funded green energy projects have sourcing and pricing requirements. If you need rubber parts with a "Made in the U.S.A." stamp, it's worth knowing that you can work with a supplier who can deliver.

Supplier Capabilities and Application Expertise

Providers of alternative and renewable energy technologies must also consider a sealing supplier's manufacturing skills and range of application expertise. Don't discount a potential partner that hasn't made your rubber part before, but do ask if they've provided similar sealing solutions. Twenty years ago, Donna Sharpe and I founded Elasto Proxy with a defense contractor as our first customer. We eventually began supplying high-quality, low-volume rubber parts to hydropower facilities, too.

Controlling Wind Power Costs

Since then, our Canadian company has used its design skills and technical expertise to discover a way to cut a special angled slit for a windmill blade. This clean part requires no secondary processing and costs less to produce. Today, wind power customers use standard rubber U-channels that are fabricated at our headquarters in Boisbriand, Quebec. By recommending windmill anti-vibration mats that were first used in mobile specialty vehicles, our solutions providers help control wind power costs, too.

Seal Design for Solar Panels

Elasto Proxy also works with the solar power industry to provide protective profiles for the glass on photovoltaic (PV) panels. Although solar panels are made of strong tempered glass, subjected to hail impact tests, and able to withstand Arctic conditions, PV panels are an expensive investment that's worth protecting. Rubber gaskets are also needed to protect the lens covers on mirrors that provide the concentrated photovoltaics.

Underwater Seals for Hydroelectric Turbines

Hydroelectric turbines have become increasingly popular in Europe, but pose design and fabrication challenges to sealing suppliers around the world. The stakes are high when leakage from the turbine main shaft seal can result in serious losses in efficiency - and revenue. By partnering with our water turbine customers, however, Elasto Proxy provides underwater sealing solutions for this type of modern hydroelectric equipment.

Go Green, See Black

Can wind, solar, or water power help your company to "go green" and be "in the black"? Do you need high-quality, low-volume rubber parts such as windmill door seals and rubber gaskets, sound insulation for power generators, rubber profiles for windmill blades and nacelles, or lens cover gaskets? I hope this CR4 blog entry has helped you to consider your options during this challenging time for North American manufacturers.

For more information, or to learn about sealing solutions for your specific green power application, please contact us at Elasto Proxy. How can we help you?

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