Wind and sun could already power state

Adelaide Advertiser
Saturday 23/9/2006 Page: 19

SOLAR power could meet the state's electricity needs, with panels to satisfy it requiring the space of 10,000 AAMI Stadiums.

Wind power would need 10 times that amount of land to provide the energy - at one-tenth of the cost. An investigation by The Advertiser has found it is feasible to power the state on renewable energy alone.

Infrastructure could be built within 10 years. Based on the average daily consumption of electricity this week, Adelaide's The Solar Shop has figured 80 million solar panels, in stalled on a 200 sq km area, could meet SA's needs.

Managing director Adrian Ferraretto said the panels easily could be installed on the roofs of 500,000 buildings. "We wouldn't even have to utilise land space, just using the stuff that's there anyway," he said.

"We are the sunniest continent in the world and we don't use it."

Planet Ark director Paul Klymenko said the infrastructure would cost $40 billion, which could by covered by the superannuation industry. It already is investing in renewable energy.

Mr Klymenko said in the past year, $50 billion was invested in super funds. "Over a 10-year period, we think it is do-able," he said. "It's a drop in the ocean for superannuation companies with money sitting in the bank and wanting to spend it."

Greenpeace clean energy campaigner Mark Wakeham said 2000 wind turbines would generate enough electricity for what SA uses on average each day. The turbines could take up between 980 and 2030 sq kms of space but would have to be installed in areas which record enough wind.

The total cost was predicted at $4 billion. "We wouldn't suggest we should rely on wind power to produce SA's needs but a combination of solar power, wind power and geothermal energy," Mr Wakeham said. "But we could provide 30 per cent of the state's electricity through wind power without too many troubles."

SA has 216 wind turbines installed or under construction. "SA has a particularly good wind resource and with some improvements, it could export the electricity to other states," Mr Wakeham said. " The Government does not have the mechanisms in place to promote new projects."