Cuyahoga Falls Company Hopes to Put Wind Turbine in Motion

A Cuyahoga Falls manufacturer hopes to raise a 141.5-foot wind turbine. It would be the first wind turbine in Summit County if approved by Cuyahoga Falls City Council Monday night.

“It will be an icon piece in Cuyahoga Falls,” Dave Mallie said, the president of the Electrical Design Consultants out of in Garfield Heights and project manager for the Juzo wind turbine project on Pearl Road.

VIDEO See Mallie’s interview at the site of the Pearl Road turbine project

Julius Zorn Inc., at 3680 Chart Rd., is already equipped with energy saving technology. The compression stockings manufacturer recently installed new lamps, which turn off automatically when employees leave portions of the building. In an effort to conserve energy and save on heating bill during the chilly months, the heated water used to dye the socks is also used to warm the plant.

“She’s a very environmentally conscious person,” City Planning Commission Member Don Nelsh said of the company’s president and owner Annerose Zorn.

The two-bladed wind turbine would cost about $165,000. Nelsh said is would be visible from a distance and above nearby trees.

“They indicated that it will take them a long time to pay things off, but they want to be environmentally friendly,” Nelsh said.

Mallie said his company started working with the city planning commission in November of 2010.

“My hat is off to the city and the planning commission for having the foresight of wanting to be involved in something like this,” he said. “It’s not only good for Cuyahoga Falls and Summit County, but it’s really good for Ohio. Ohio is  a major player in the manufacturing of the components for wind turbines.”

Mallie said the wind turbine is expected to start producing electricity when it reaches a speed of 47 revolutions per minute.

While it would only take one day to build the turbine, Mallie said it wouldn’t be operational for about six weeks after its installed.

It’s estimated the new energy supplement will save the company close to $3,000 on its electricity bill each year. Zorn employs close to 130 people at its Cuyahoga Falls campus.

City Council meets at the Monday night at 6:30 p.m. for a vote on a conditional use permit for the wind turbine.

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