Cape Jervis, South Australia

Starfish Hill Wind Farm was built on the hills overlooking Backstairs Passage between the South Australian mainland and Kangaroo Island by Tarong Energy. In their calculations for the cost of having the components manufactured in Denmark, transported to Australia and the construction at the site they knew that in just over two years all the carbon emmission released from the manufacturing stage to operation would be neutralised.

A brief explanation how the project was completed from beginning to end with consultation with the local community to the connection to the national grid is available courtesy Tarong Energy - click here for the report - starfish_hill.pdf (728KB) - full of photos and explanations.

Since then a second wind farm has been built at Mt Millar on South Australia's west coast. Both the Starfish and Mt Millar websites have further information and images of their respective farms.

In 2007 Transfield Services purchased both windfarms and their links are below.

Click here for:STARFISH HILL or here for: MT MILLAR Wind Farms

When considering a suitable site for a wind farm the follow issues are considered:

• Consistently strong winds.
  
• Low impact on native flora and fauna.
• Sparse settlement and previously cleared farming and grazing land.
• Close proximity to the electricity grid.

 

Transfield own and operate several other Wind Farms and Power Stations as well as Filtration Plants. These can be linked to from Starfish Hill and Mt Millar web sites.

Discover how a wind farm works by visiting Transfields

• How a wind farm works - brief explanation of AC versus DC generation and generation direct or via a gearbox.
• Why wind energy?
• What's renewable energy?

VESTAS, a major world developer of Wind Turbines has several pages of information regarding wind power as a clean carbon free source of electricity. Select below to visit:

Modern Energy | Understanding Modern Energy | Experience the wind | A global challenge

 

ENERCON a German company working in wind research has solved the problem for Australia's remote towns that are not part of the State or National Electricity Grid. Towns like Albany in Western Australia have for many years depended on diesal generators to produce their electrical needs. Today a combination of wind and diesel is being used to supply these remote sites. When the wind blows your power is generated by the wind, at other times the diesel generator cuts in. Using this method the towns are reducing their carbon emmission.

For an explanation and diagram of how the two energy forms are blended click here. This system can also be adapted to suit photovoltaic systems, desalination units and hydrogen equipment.

ENERCON Booklets available on the web:

• Potentials of Wind Energy - a general overview
• Wind Turbines Technology -
• Desalination Systems -
• Wind / Diesel Desalination System -
• Grid integration and wind farm management
• ENERCON - Windblatt Magazine 04/2009 page 10 - Green energy for two Antartic research stations.

 

For Australian guidelines concerning wind farms visit AUSWIND or download Sustainability Victoria's Wind Energy Myths and Facts file in pdf format.

AUSWINDS Energy Factsheets - 12 Fact sheets in pdf form that explain all the facets of wind farming you could encounter. A proven set of sheets that have stood many years of testing. Well worth a look.

Combining wind power and solar for sea worthiness - a wind/solar hybrid story

Wikipedia's Wind Power Information - click here

This page: SA's Starfish Hill & Mt Millar | Transfields | VESTAS | Miller the Danish Wind Quiz Kid | ENERCON | Auswind & Sustainability Victoria | Wikipedia

We will be building on this page later this year, so if you have any suggestions please send them to us at info[at]energy.edu.au