With global warming being a hot subject these days, many individuals are wondering what they can do to play their part in helping prevent the planet from becoming something that resembles the Mad Max movies. The truth is, there's not much you can do, as most of the emissions come from a handful of corporations and countries that we Australians can't influence in any way. However, if you want to do everything in your power to help make the world a greener place, the first step you need to take is switch to renewable energy. Australia is one of the countries that's blessed with many sunny days throughout the year that solar energy can be heavily utilised, and we have a ton of potential in the renewable wind energy sector as well. Solar systems are obviously the more popular solution for most households, but renewable wind energy is slowly becoming more popular among small businesses, rural homeowners, ranchers, etc.
Unlike solar systems, which most people can take advantage of, how do you know whether your property is good enough to accommodate a renewable wind energy system? Well, first and foremost, you need to have a big enough property of a few hundred square metres to accommodate a few small wind turbines. And this is exactly why solar energy is more widespread than wind energy. The sheer space required to install even a few small wind turbines makes it so most urban and suburban homeowners can't take advantage of this energy harnessing method. However, if you're living in rural Australia that has enough wind, renewable wind energy can be one of the most cost-efficient solutions for powering your home, and you can even get money out of it by contributing to the nation's energy needs.
What makes wind energy especially attractive for rural areas is the fact that they can help people avoid the high costs of expanding the utility power lines to locations that are remote, and they enable rural homeowners to be completely energy independent. Wind energy is clean, renewable and indigenous, making it the ideal solution for environmentally conscious people. So how do wind turbines harness the energy from the wind? Well, first and foremost, let's talk about how wind is "produced". Wind occurs as a result of the unequal heating of the planet's surface by the sun. Wind turbines can transform the kinetic energy found in the wind into mechanical power that runs a generator which creates clean electricity. Modern wind turbines are versatile modular sources of electricity, and the blades on wind turbines are aerodynamically designed to capture the most energy from the wind.
However, before you even think about installing small wind turbines on your property, you need to check out your area's local zoning regulations that allow and restrict different types of projects, and acquire a permit for installing wind turbines. These procedures are important, as they seek to address safety, community concerns and interests, and aesthetics. Some of the concerns may include visual impact, sound level, wildlife impact, ice shedding, TV and radio interference and broken equipment. These processes may vary greatly across Australia, so becoming familiar with the regulations, general requirements and authorities in your area can be very helpful. In some cases, getting the permit can be pretty straightforward, whereas in other cases, you might have to go to hearings and the process can become quite uncertain.
You can find out more about the zoning and permitting requirements in your area by contacting the board of supervisors, building inspector or planning board. They'll tell you what you need to do in order to acquire a building permit and they'll give you a list of all the requirements. Alternatively, you can contact the Australian Wind Alliance or the Australian Energy Storage Alliance for more information. Besides these official bodies, you should discuss the issue with neighbours who might object to your small wind turbines, especially if it blocks their view or if there's a concern about the sound it may produce.
The average home uses about 900 kWh a month. Depending on the average wind speed in your area, you'll need a wind turbine that's rated in the range of 5-15 kW to make a decent contribution to this demand. A wind turbine rated at 1.5 kW will meet the needs of a home that needs 300 kWh per month in an area with a 7 metres per second average wind speed. Generally, the dealer, manufacturer or installed can give you the expected yearly output of the small wind turbines as a function of the yearly average wind speed. They'll also provide you with information about the max wind speeds at which the turbine is designed to operate safely. Most modern wind turbines feature automatic overspeed-governing systems which prevent the motor from spinning out of control when exposed to extremely harsh winds.
